A makeshift boat headed from West Africa to Spain capsized off Morocco on Dec. 19, killing at least 69 people, according to Malian authorities. Only 11 survived.
A statement released by the Ministry of Malians abroad on Thursday said the boat was carrying around 80 people when the tragedy occurred.
The statement added that a crisis unit has been set up to monitor the situation and will report any further updates.
“Among the 25 Malians dead, there are 8 Malians from my commune,” Mamadou Siby, the mayor of the commune of Marena in the Kayes region, told AP.
“These dead young men left my commune seven months ago to work in the construction industry in Mauritania. Unfortunately, they were in contact with their friends in Europe and America, who encouraged them to come to these countries, and in most cases, they took the perilous journey without even informing their families back home.”
The Atlantic migration route from the coast of West Africa to the Canary Islands, typically used by African migrants trying to reach Spain, has seen a surge this year.
Years of conflict in the Sahel region that includes Mali, unemployment and the impact of climate change on farming communities are among the reasons why people attempt the crossing.
The route, which traces the Atlantic coasts of Mauritania and Morocco up to Spain, is one of the world’s deadliest.
An unprecedented nearly 5,000 migrants died at sea in the first five months of 2024 trying to reach the Spanish archipelago, migration rights group Walking Borders said in June.
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