At least 140 migrants bound for Europe have drowned after a boat carrying around 200 people sank off the coast of Senegal, the UN has confirmed.
The boat caught fire and capsized on Saturday, shortly after leaving the town of Mbour, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said.
60 people were reportedly rescued.
It is believed the migrants were attempting to reach mainland Europe via Spain’s Canary Islands.
The west African route has grown in popularity since the year 2018.
The incident on Saturday is recorded to be the deadliest of its kind this year according to UN reports.
“We call for unity between governments, partners and the international community to dismantle trafficking and smuggling networks that take advantage of desperate youth,” said Bakary Doumbia, IOM’s representative in Senegal.
