At least 21 dead after migrant boat sinks off Senegal coast
Authorities have recovered 21 bodies and rescued one survivor following the capsizing of a vessel near the Loumpoul dunes.
At least 21 people died after a boat carrying migrants sank off the northwestern coast of Senegal, according to reports from the Times of India and WION.
The Senegalese interior ministry stated that 21 bodies had been recovered by Saturday evening, noting that the death toll remains provisional. Only one survivor has been rescued so far, and search and rescue operations are ongoing.
The vessel reportedly capsized near the Loumpoul dunes in the Kebemer department, located approximately 180 km north of Dakar. The Le Soleil newspaper reported that most of the deceased were from the Leona and Thieppe districts.
This incident follows the interception of 142 migrants on a different small boat by Senegalese authorities, who were allegedly trying to reach Spain. That group included 23 women, two babies, and two children from Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, and Nigeria.
The Senegalese government said it is determined to fight people-smuggling networks through increased cooperation with neighbouring countries. Meanwhile, authorities in Spain's Canary Island of El Hierro declared an emergency on Saturday after more than 3,300 people arrived on around 30 boats since the start of November.