Migrant boat capsizes en route to Spain with 58 people drowned and 40 more feared dead

AT least 58 migrants have drowned yesterday after their boat capsized in the Atlantic Ocean en route to Spain.

The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) confirmed at least one boy and three women were killed, while a further 83 migrants on board the boat managed to swim to the coast of Mauritania, alerting authorities to the shipwreck.

A further 40 migrants are feared dead, while 10 of the survivors are in a serious condition.

The boat left the coast of Gambia last Thursday and was traveling toward Spain’s Canary Islands.

It was carrying between 150 and 180 migrants from different countries – most of them were reportedly from Gambia and Senegal, and aged between 20 and 30.

The boat, which appeared to have been sailing close to the coast, hit a reef and capsized.

The survivors were found by Mauritanian authorities and taken to Nouadhibou, where they were given food, clothes and blankets.

According to sources, there is little hope that new survivors will be found.