More Than 140 Feared Dead Off Mauritania as a Guyana Ferry Toll Reaches 53

The United Nations refugee agency reported that 144 migrants are dead or missing after a series of maritime incidents off the coast of Mauritania last week. Al Jazeera reported that a single boat carrying migrants and refugees from Africa toward Europe ran out of fuel, leaving 143 dead and 38 rescued.

Separately, in South America, the death toll from a ferry that capsized in Guyana over the weekend rose to 53, and survivors described panic as the vessel went down. The two disasters, in different parts of the world, both involved overcrowded or under-provisioned boats and a slow rescue.

The Mauritania route, along Africa's Atlantic coast toward Spain's Canary Islands, has become one of the deadliest migration corridors in the world. The recurring loss of life reflects both the desperation driving people to attempt the crossing and the limited search-and-rescue capacity along the route.