Jakarta, ThedailyID — At least 21 people died after a migrant boat capsized off the northwestern coast of Senegal. Authorities confirmed the death toll remained provisional as search operations continued through Saturday night.
Senegal’s Interior Ministry said rescue teams had recovered 21 bodies and saved only one person.
However, officials warned that the number of casualties could still change. While search efforts continued, authorities also provided assistance to the victims’ families.
Media reports identified the vessel as a pirogue, a traditional flat-bottomed boat. It capsized on Saturday, November 7 near the Loumpoul dunes in the Kebemer area, between Dakar and the northern city of Saint-Louis.
According to AFP, newspaper Le Soleil reported that most of the victims came from the Leona and Thieppe districts in the same region.
The tragedy adds to the growing number of deaths along the dangerous Atlantic migration route. Thousands of people have died in recent years while attempting to reach Spain’s Canary Islands from West Africa.
Every year, thousands of West African migrants attempt the perilous journey to Europe by sea. On Friday, November 6, Senegalese authorities intercepted 142 migrants aboard small boats heading toward Spain.
In a statement on Saturday, Senegal’s Interior Ministry reaffirmed its commitment to tackling human smuggling networks.
The ministry said it would strengthen cooperation with neighboring countries as part of those efforts.
Meanwhile, Spanish authorities on El Hierro in the Canary Islands declared an emergency on Saturday. The decision followed a sharp increase in migrant boat arrivals.
More than 3,300 people arrived on the island aboard 30 boats during the first days of November.
