47 illegal migrants died of starvation and thirst while trying to reach the Canary Islands on board. This is stated in a joint statement of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
The boat, which had 54 people on board, including three children, sailed from the Atlantic coast of North Africa on August 3. On the second day of sailing due to engine failure, the ship drifted in the Atlantic Ocean. Passengers were left without food and water for almost two weeks.
The Moorish Coast Guard found the ship on August 16, leaving only seven people on board. The remaining 47 died.
The survivors were taken to the city of Nouadhibou in northern Mauritania. Four of them are in critical condition.
The authors of the statement reminded that 10 days ago a similar tragedy happened on the same route. Then 40 people died.