ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - According to the migrant rights group Walking Borders, a sad occurrence involving migrants seeking to reach Spain from West Africa may have killed up to 50 persons, 44 of whom were Pakistani.

The group stated on Thursday that the boat, which left Mauritania on January 2, carried 86 migrants, including 66 Pakistanis. Moroccan authorities rescued 36 passengers from the yacht on Wednesday.

The migrants were part of a bigger group trying the dangerous journey across the Atlantic to the Canary Islands.

Walking Borders, based in Madrid and Navarra, reported that the boat had been missing for several days before the alarm was raised.

Six days ago, the group notified authorities in all concerned countries of the boat's disappearance.

Alarm Phone, a non-governmental group that assists migrants trapped at sea, contacted Spain's marine rescue service on January 12, but the service reportedly had no knowledge of the boat.

Walking Borders has documented a record number of deaths in 2024, with 10,457 migrants, roughly 30 per day, dying while attempting to enter Spain, primarily via the Atlantic route from West African nations such as Mauritania and Senegal.

The Canary Islands, a popular destination for many migrants, have become a crucial stop along this fatal migration route.

Helena Maleno, CEO of Walking Borders, revealed on social media that 44 of the victims were from Pakistan, characterizing the ordeal as a 13-day journey of pain and sorrow with no rescue aid.

Local officials and humanitarian groups have expressed outrage over the tragedy.

Fernando Clavijo, the Canary Islands' regional leader, expressed his sincere grief and urged Spain and Europe to take immediate action to prevent further loss of life.

"The Atlantic cannot continue to be the graveyard of Africa," Clavijo stated on social media site X, calling international authorities to solve the rising humanitarian issue.