Over 40 Pakistanis Feared Dead After Migrant Boat Capsizes Near West Africa

The overcrowded vessel, carrying migrants from Mauritania to Spain's Canary Islands, sank near the Moroccan-controlled port city of Dakhla.

A migrant boat carrying approximately 80 passengers, including over 40 Pakistanis, capsized off the West African coast near Dakhla in the disputed Western Sahara region.
Moroccan authorities rescued 36 survivors, while rights group Walking Borders estimates around 50 people, including 44 Pakistanis, drowned in the tragedy.
Most Pakistani victims were from Punjab province, where families had paid large sums to human traffickers seeking better opportunities in Europe.
Pakistan's government has dispatched officials to assist survivors and is coordinating with Moroccan authorities to identify victims and repatriate remains.
The tragedy highlights the increasing dangers of migration routes from northwest Africa to Europe, with the Canary Islands route being labeled the deadliest in the world by rights groups.