Around 75 West African migrants have been rescued off the coast of Mauritania after their boat suffered an engine failure, Mauritanian and Guinean security sources told AFP on Sunday.

Thousands of would-be migrants have died in recent years seeking to make the sea trip from North Africa to Spain and other European countries.

The boat had departed Kamsar, a port city in Guinea on July 15, according to a statement from Mauritania's ministry of fisheries.

"The boat's engine broke down in open sea. (The boat was) on the verge of sinking. The passengers were carried away by the current for two days before issuing a distress call," the ministry said.

Deadly journey

The ministry said there were at least 75 West Africans onboard, while Guinean security sources told AFP there were more than 100 passengers from different countries, including Guinea, Senegal and Gambia.

A nearby ship intervened before handing the stranded passengers over to Mauritanian coastguards. They remained in Mauritania on Sunday, a local security source told AFP.

According to the Spanish charity Caminando Fronteras, nearly 10,500 people died at sea trying to reach Spain in 2024 alone.

About 46,800 African migrants arrived in Spain's Canary Islands in 2024, according to official figures, though numbers have fallen this year.