At least 21 dead as small boat sinks off Senegal

A small boat carrying migrants and refugees capsized off the coast of northwestern Senegal on Saturday, resulting in at least 21 deaths. The Senegalese Interior Ministry reported that one person was rescued, and 21 bodies were recovered, but they emphasized that the death toll remains provisional as the search continues. The ministry also noted that efforts were being made to assist the families of the victims.

The boat, a pirogue-type flat-bottomed vessel, capsized off the Loumpoul dunes in the Kebemer department, situated between Dakar and the northern city of Saint-Louis. According to Le Soleil newspaper, most of the victims hailed from the Leona and Thieppe districts within the same department. Around the world, thousands of individuals have lost their lives while attempting to reach Spain’s Canary Islands from West Africa.

In the first five months of this year, the migrant rights group Walking Borders reported that 635 people perished, with over 3,300 people arriving in the Canary Islands aboard approximately 30 boats since the start of November.