Mauritania’s coast guard says at least 49 die when boat carrying migrants capsized this week           

At least 49 people have died when a boat carrying migrants capsized this week, the Mauritanian coast guard said on Friday.

Authorities said the boat came from Gambia and capsized on Tuesday morning off the coast of Mheijrat.

“The boat left Gambia a week ago and had 160 people on board, including Senegalese and Gambian nationals,” Mohamed Abdallah, the head of the coast guard, told The Associated Press.

“When the migrants saw the lights of the Mheijrat, they tried to move to one part of the boat, causing it to capsize,” Abdallah said.

The official said 49 bodies have washed ashore and just 17 people were rescued so far. The others remain missing, the official said.