Boat sinks in Western Sahara, 42 migrants feared dead

Desk report:  At least 42 people are feared dead after a boat carrying migrants sank off the western Sahara. There were at least 30 women and eight children in the boat. A Spanish immigrant rights activist said the boat had sailed from the coastal town of Dakhla. Khabar Al Jazeera. Helena Maleno Garzone, founder of Walking Borders, said the dead included 30 women, eight children and four men. Only 10 people were rescued alive. “We should not get used to such tragedies,” the Spanish Commission for Refugees (CIER) said in a tweet. Moroccan authorities could not immediately be reached for comment. However, local media reported that 12 bodies were washed ashore on Thursday. Fishermen rescued 10 more people from Dhakhla coast. Morocco claims the disputed Western Sahara region. The country annexed the region in 1985. Control is also in the hands of the Moroccan navy. However, the Polisario Front is agitating for the independence of the region.