At least 21 dead as migrant boat sinks off Senegal coast
Authorities have rescued one survivor after a boat carrying irregular migrants capsized 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 Al Jazeera. The Senegalese Interior Ministry stated on Sunday that one survivor has been rescued so far.
The vessel capsized on Saturday near the Loumpoul dunes in the Kebemer department, located approximately 180 km north of Dakar. The Senegalese Press Agency reported a death toll of at least 34 people, while the Interior Ministry's provisional figure stood at 21 bodies recovered by Saturday evening.
The Le Soleil newspaper reported that a majority of the deceased hailed from the Thieppe and Leona districts within the Kebemer department. Search and rescue operations are ongoing to locate any further survivors.
This incident follows a surge in migrant arrivals at Spain's Canary Island of El Hierro, where authorities declared an emergency on Saturday. Local officials noted that more than 3,300 people have arrived on the island via approximately 30 boats since the beginning of November.
Migrant rights group Walking Borders stated that 635 people died attempting the route to the Canary Islands during the first five months of this year. The Senegalese government has expressed its determination to combat people-smuggling networks through increased cooperation with neighbouring countries.