The death toll after a boat carrying Europe-bound migrants capsized off Gambia’s coast on New Year’s Eve has risen to 39, two government officials told Reuters, as survivors described the vessel as “overcrowded and dilapidated”.
Gambia’s Defence Ministry last week put the death toll at seven and said more than 200 people could have been on board.
A total of 112 people had been rescued as of Wednesday, said Sima Lowe, public relations officer for Gambia’s Immigration Department, and a senior defence ministry official who asked not to be named as he was not authorised to speak to press.
The migration route used by West Africans trying to reach Spain via the Canary Islands is one of the world’s deadliest.
Survivors interviewed by Reuters after being released from hospital in Gambia this week said the boat had been heading for Europe.
Their stories highlight the risks and challenges faced by would be migrants from West Africa who are often fleeing poverty, unemployment and lack of opportunities in their home countries.
Of the 39 dead, 24 were recovered in Gambian territory, while 15 were recovered in Senegalese territory, the defence official said.
Passengers on board included citizens of Gambia, Senegal, Guinea, Mali, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso and Sierra Leone, the official said.
–Reuters–
