More than 60 migrants are believed to have died aboard a pirogue that left the Senegalese coast in early July and was found off the coast of Cabo Verde on Monday, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Wednesday.
An estimated 63 people died, while 38 survived, including four children between the ages of twelve and sixteen, IOM spokeswoman Safa Msehli was quoted by media as saying.
The boat was spotted Monday in the Atlantic Ocean about 150 nautical miles (277 km) from the Cabo Verde island of Sal and about 600 kilometers from the Senegalese coast by a Spanish fishing vessel, which alerted the Cabo Verde authorities, according to police in the archipelago.
In addition to the 38 survivors, rescuers found the remains of seven people who had died, the spokeswoman said.
According to survivor testimonies cited by the Senegalese Foreign Ministry, the boat left the town of Fass Boye (West) on the Senegalese coast on July 10 with 101 passengers on board.
As a result, 56 people are still missing. “Generally, when people are reported missing after a shipwreck, they are presumed dead,” the spokeswoman said.
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