The death toll is now confirmed to be around 58 in yesterday’s boat disaster off the Mauritanian coast. The boat, taking off from Barra, North Bank Gambia was carrying migrants hoping for Italy. Women and children were believed to be among passengers.

Our reporters at the Mauritanian hospital keeping some of the recovered bodies were barred from accessing bodies since yesterday. We are still monitoring developments. As we update, The Gambia government is yet to make any official statement regarding this year’s biggest sea accident for the tiny West African country of two million.