Mauritania’s coastguard rescued 161 migrants, including 17 children, after their boat suffered engine failure off the country’s coast, authorities said on Thursday.
The vessel was carrying 99 Senegalese nationals, including six women and two children, according to a coastguard statement cited by AFP. Those aboard also included 56 Guineans — three men, 38 women and 15 children — and six Gambians, comprising two men and four women.
The boat departed from Banjul, the Gambian capital, and spent around eight days at sea before Mauritanian coastguard units spotted it on Tuesday and rescued everyone aboard.
Authorities said all the passengers were in stable condition but exhausted by the journey and the vessel’s deteriorating state.
The group received medical attention before being transferred to a reception centre in Nouakchott, Mauritania’s capital.
The waters off Mauritania form part of an Atlantic migration route used by people attempting to reach Europe. Hundreds have been rescued along the country’s coastline in recent months, while others have died or disappeared in maritime accidents.