42 Europe-bound migrants rescued off Mauritania

Mauritania's coastguard said it rescued 42 migrants, including women and children, from a drifting boat off Nouadhibou late on Sunday, August 16, after the vessel had engine trouble while travelling from Gambia toward Europe.

The coastguard said the group included 10 people from Senegal and 32 from Gambia. It said four women, one of them pregnant, and three children were among those on board.

A coastguard official told AFP the boat was rescued off Nouadhibou, Mauritania's economic capital, and towed to the city's port. The coastguard said the rescued people were given assistance under legal and humanitarian procedures.

Thousands of people have for years attempted the Atlantic route to reach Europe via Spain's Canary Islands, often on overloaded and dilapidated boats. In recent months, hundreds have been rescued off Mauritania's coast while attempting the journey.