89 migrants found dead at sea off Mauritania

Nouakchott: The bodies of 89 undocumented migrants were found by Mauritanian coast guards close to N'Diago in southwest Mauritania, according to local media.

The migrants were aboard a large traditional fishing boat that was stranded off the Atlantic Ocean, four kilometres from the town of N'Diago, Xinhua news agency reported, citing the Mauritanian News Agency.

Nine people, including a five-year-old girl, were rescued by the Mauritanian coast guard, the report said.

The boat, which left the Senegalese-Gambia border six days ago towards Europe, had 170 migrants on board, the report quoted survivors as saying.

With inputs from IANS