Tragedy Strikes as Over 60 People Die in Boat Accident off Cape Verde
In a devastating incident, more than 60 people are believed to have lost their lives after the boat they were traveling on from Senegal was found off the coast of Cape Verde. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) confirmed the tragic news on Wednesday.
According to an IOM spokesperson, at least 63 asylum seekers are thought to have perished in the accident. However, there were 38 survivors, including four children aged between 12 and 16. The wooden fishing vessel was spotted in the Atlantic Ocean on Monday, approximately 150 nautical miles from the Cape Verdean island of Sal.
Initial reports suggested that the boat had sunk, but it was later clarified that it was found drifting. A Spanish fishing boat discovered the vessel and promptly alerted Cape Verdean authorities.
The exact date of the incident remains unclear, but survivors revealed that the boat departed from Senegal on July 10th with around 100 passengers on board.
Emergency services have so far recovered the remains of seven individuals, while another 56 people are still missing, according to the IOM spokesperson. In such cases, when people are reported missing following a shipwreck, they are generally presumed dead.
Cape Verde is located approximately 350 miles off the coast on the maritime route to Spain’s Canary Islands. The Atlantic migration route from West Africa to the Canary Islands, often used to reach mainland Spain, is known to be one of the world’s deadliest.
The IOM emphasized the urgent need for safe and regular migration pathways, as the absence of such options allows smugglers and traffickers to exploit vulnerable individuals and subject them to perilous journeys.
The Canary Islands route has witnessed numerous tragedies in recent times. In 2022 alone, at least 559 people lost their lives attempting to reach the islands. In the first half of this year, 126 people died or went missing on the same route, with 15 shipwrecks recorded, as reported by the IOM.
In July, another 15 individuals drowned when a boat capsized off the coast of Dakar, the capital of Senegal.
The issue of migration has once again come to the forefront of Europe’s political agenda, including in the UK. Europe’s border and coastguard agency, Frontex, revealed last week that irregular arrivals had increased by 13% between January and July, reaching a total of 176,100, the highest number for this period since 2016.
Frontex attributed the rise to a 115% surge in the number of people using the “central Mediterranean” route, which has now become the primary migratory route into the European Union, accounting for over half of all border detections.
In yet another tragic incident, at least 11 migrants died on Monday, with seven others still missing after their boat capsized off the coast of Tunisia, according to Tunisian authorities.
Just the week before, 41 people were feared to have perished when a boat sank in rough seas near the Italian island of Lampedusa in the central Mediterranean.
The gravity of these incidents underscores the pressing need for comprehensive and effective measures to address the challenges of migration and ensure the safety and well-being of those seeking a better life.
[AFP and Reuters contributed to this report]
How can greater rescue efforts and improved migration management help prevent further loss of life in the dangerous and deadly crossings in Slands?
Slands is known for its dangerous and deadly crossings, as migrants attempt to escape poverty and seek better lives in Europe. The IOM estimates that over 600 people have died this year on this route alone.
This tragic incident highlights the ongoing migration crisis in West Africa and the grave risks migrants face in their journeys. The IOM has called for greater rescue efforts and improved migration management to prevent further loss of life.
The survivors of the boat accident are currently receiving medical care in Cape Verde, and authorities are working to identify and repatriate the bodies of those who lost their lives.
This latest tragedy serves as a stark reminder of the desperate situations that drive people to risk their lives in search of a better future. It is a call to action for the international community to address the root causes of migration and provide safer and legal alternatives for those who are forced to flee their homes.
The boat accident off Cape Verde serves as a devastating reminder of the human cost of irregular migration and the urgent need for action to prevent further tragedies. It is a wake-up call for governments, organizations, and individuals to work together in finding comprehensive solutions to this global issue.
My thoughts and prayers go out to the families and friends of those on board. Such a heartbreaking tragedy.