At least 39 people died after a small wooden boat carrying migrants capsized off the coast of Senegal while heading for Spain's Canary Islands.1,3
The Senegalese interior ministry said only one person was rescued alive, near the town of Kébémer north of the capital Dakar, and the total number of people who had been on board and the number still missing have not been established. The sinking is the latest deadly sinking on the Atlantic route from West Africa to Europe.1,3,4
Early statements put the death toll at 21, describing the figure as provisional while search operations continued. The Senegalese Press Agency later put the toll at at least 34 on Sunday, a figure confirmed by Action for Human Rights and Friendship in a statement to AFP, while later accounts on Monday put the toll at at least 39 after more bodies were found.1,3,4,5
Accounts differed on when and where the boat overturned. Media reports said the pirogue-type flat-bottomed boat capsized on Saturday off the Loumpoul dunes in Kebemer department, between Dakar and the northern city of Saint-Louis, after leaving Saint-Louis, while another account said it overturned on Sunday. Saliou Diouf, founder of Senegal's migrant aid group Boza Fii, told AFP that "the sinking occurred on Friday."1,3,4
Rescue teams are searching along a 25km (15-mile) stretch of coastline, but operations have been complicated by difficult access and strong ocean currents, which are pushing bodies further south. Four bodies recovered on Monday morning in an advanced state of decomposition were buried following a collective funeral prayer organised by the fire service.1
Diouf said all the bodies recovered by Sunday evening were Senegalese, and added, "But the bodies recovered yesterday (Saturday) are Senegalese," saying the nationalities of others on board had not been confirmed as the search continued. Authorities said 24 of the 39 victims had been identified and their bodies returned to their families, while 11 others were still awaiting identification.1,4
President Bassirou Diomaye Faye expressed his condolences to the victims' families and urged Senegalese nationals not to risk their lives on the sea crossings. He wrote on social media Sunday that "all state authorities and resources have been mobilised to locate those who have gone missing, provide care for the survivors and support families." "We will relentlessly continue the fight against those who organise these crossings and the work that gives our young people reasons to hope here," he said.1,4
Senegal's interior ministry stressed its "determination to combat people smuggling networks, notably through strengthened cooperation with neighboring countries." The ministry said Senegal, Mauritania and Morocco have stepped up maritime patrols around departure points for small boats, forcing them to head further south towards the coasts of Gambia, Guinea-Bissau and Guinea, which prolongs the duration of the already hazardous crossing.4,5
Senegalese authorities said they intercepted another small boat on Friday carrying 142 migrants attempting to reach Spain. Police said those on board included 23 women, two babies and two other children, and comprised nationals of Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea and Nigeria.1,4,5
Spanish authorities on the Canary Island of El Hierro declared an emergency on Saturday after a surge in migrant boat arrivals. Authorities there said more than 3,300 people had arrived aboard around 30 boats since the beginning of November.1,4,5
The vessel was following a route used by thousands of young Senegalese seeking better economic conditions, who risk travelling in uncovered wooden canoes for around 800 miles across the Atlantic Ocean to reach Europe. Spanish migrant rights group Walking Borders recorded 635 deaths on the Atlantic route to the Canary Islands between January and May 2026, the highest toll among the routes it monitors, and estimates that about 21 people died for every 100 who reached the islands during the period it monitored.1,3
The country's interior minister was expected to visit the region where the sinking happened to meet families of the victims and express condolences on behalf of the state. Search operations were continuing along the coast, and an indeterminate number of people were reported missing.1,4,5
