October 30. According to the Russian satellite network quoted by the Spanish Effie News Agency, on the 29th local time, a source from the Mauritanian security department said that a ship full of refugees broke down and lost power after leaving Senegal, with about 50% on board. Unfortunately, two refugees died.
According to reports, the ship departed from Senegal two weeks ago and drifted in the Atlantic after losing control. The Mauritania Coast Guard rescued the remaining refugees in the waters near Nouadhibou on the 29th.
Spanish office of the United Nations Refugee Agency has previously stated that the new crown epidemic has caused the closure of past smuggling channels, so the number of illegal immigrants trying to reach the Canary Islands has increased.
International Organization for Migration (IOM), among the refugees smuggling from Senegal to the Canary Islands in 2020, 414 have unfortunately lost their lives.
