17-8-2023 (PRAIA) In a devastating incident, over 60 individuals are believed to have lost their lives when a migrant boat originating from Senegal was discovered near the Cape Verde islands in West Africa, as reported by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) on Wednesday.
According to Safa Msehli, spokesperson for the IOM, the grim toll includes 63 fatalities, while 38 survivors, including four children aged between 12 and 16, were rescued. The vessel in question was a long wooden fishing boat, commonly referred to as a pirogue, and was spotted on Monday in the Atlantic Ocean, approximately 150 nautical miles (277 kilometers) away from the Cape Verdean island of Sal, according to local police.
The Spanish fishing vessel that sighted the boat immediately alerted Cape Verdean authorities, prompting a swift response. The Cape Verde archipelago is situated roughly 600 kilometers (350 miles) off the coast and lies on the maritime migration route to the Spanish Canary Islands, which serves as a gateway to the European Union.
Emergency services managed to recover the remains of seven individuals, as confirmed by Msehli. Tragically, an additional 56 people are believed to be missing. Msehli stated, “Typically, when individuals are reported missing following a shipwreck, they are presumed deceased.”
Survivors who were interviewed revealed that the boat embarked from the Senegalese fishing village of Fasse Boye on July 10, carrying a total of 101 individuals, according to the Senegal foreign ministry. All occupants, except for one person from Guinea-Bissau, were of Senegalese nationality.
The authorities have yet to disclose any information regarding the boat’s fate subsequent to its departure. However, Abdou Karim Sarr, an official from the local fisherman’s association known as the CLPA, lamented, “Those who are missing are most likely deceased.”
Moda Samb, a local elected official from Fasse Boye, revealed that the majority of those aboard the ill-fated boat hailed from the fishing community in the area. “One survivor, who was able to speak to his father on the phone, informed him that the others did not survive,” Samb shared. He further added that numerous families anxiously awaited news to ascertain whether their loved ones were among the survivors.
Authorities in Cape Verde assured the public that they have mobilized the necessary resources to provide care for the survivors, seven of whom required hospitalization after reaching Sal on Tuesday. The Senegal foreign ministry affirmed its commitment to repatriate its citizens promptly.
This heartbreaking incident is not the first of its kind to befall Senegal. The Cape Verde islands lie along one of the maritime migration routes frequently used by thousands of Africans seeking refuge from poverty and conflict, with aspirations of reaching the perilous Spanish Canary Islands. Many migrants embark on this treacherous journey aboard pirogue boats, which are highly susceptible to the unpredictable nature of the weather.
Earlier this year, in January, nearly 90 migrants from Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, and Sierra Leone had to be rescued from the waters off Cape Verde, underscoring the ongoing dangers faced by those attempting such journeys.
