More than 160 migrants rescued from sea off Mauritania
The boat had set out from Banjul, the capital of The Gambia, and sailed for about eight days before being spotted by coastguard units.
The Mauritanian coastguard has rescued over 160 migrants, including 17 children, from a distressed vessel off the country's coast. This marks their second significant rescue operation in a week, as they previously saved more than 300 migrants on Friday. Most of the rescued migrants, originating from Senegal, The Gambia, Guinea, and Mali, are exhausted by their perilous journey and the hazardous conditions of the overcrowded boat.
The migrants, who set sail from The Gambia's capital, Banjul, had been adrift for approximately eight days before being spotted by coastguard units. The vessel had been experiencing engine troubles, contributing to their dire situation. All those aboard have been safely transported to a reception center in Nouakchott, the Mauritanian capital.
Thousands of young individuals attempt this dangerous journey annually, driven by poverty and the desperation of European visa restrictions and tightened border controls.
Written by urgent.news from Free Malaysia Today's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
