At least 21 people have died after a boat carrying irregular migrants sank off the northern coast of Senegal, the country’s interior ministry confirmed in a statement on X.
Search and rescue operations were launched off Kebemer, a coastal town situated approximately 180 kilometers north of the capital, Dakar as emergency teams continue to look for possible additional survivors.
As of Saturday evening, rescue teams had recovered 21 bodies and rescued one survivor from the water. The total number of passengers aboard the vessel when it set sail remains unknown.
The tragedy highlights the ongoing dangers along the Atlantic migration route from West Africa to Europe. According to data from the migrant rights group Walking Borders, thousands of people have perished in recent years trying to reach Spain’s Canary Islands, with at least 635 deaths recorded in the first five months of this year alone.
Authorities have affirmed that search efforts will continue in the area to locate any remaining victims or survivors.
REUTERS
