Dakar, Nov 10 (V7N)- At least 34 people have died after a boat carrying migrants capsized off the coast of Senegal while travelling towards Europe, the Senegalese Press Agency (APS) reported on Monday (November 9), citing government sources.
Senegal's Interior Ministry said one person had been rescued alive. However, the number of people still missing was not immediately known.
The small wooden boat sank in the sea between the capital, Dakar, and the northern city of Saint-Louis. Those on board were attempting to reach Spain's Canary Islands.
Saliou Diouf, founder of the Senegalese migrant aid group Boza Fi, told AFP that all the bodies recovered so far were identified as Senegalese nationals. The identities of the other people on board remained unknown.
Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye expressed condolences to the victims' families and urged people not to risk their lives by attempting to reach Europe through dangerous sea routes.
In a social media statement, Faye said authorities would intensify operations against those organising such perilous journeys. He also pledged efforts to create more employment opportunities for young people in their home country.
According to Spanish migrant rights organisation Walking Borders, 635 people died while attempting to cross the Atlantic to the Canary Islands between January and May 2026. The organisation said this was the highest death toll among the migration routes it monitors.
It estimated that approximately 21 people died for every 100 migrants who reached the Canary Islands by sea.
In a separate incident, Senegalese authorities intercepted another boat carrying 142 migrants attempting to reach Spain last Friday. The passengers included 23 women, two children and two infants. They were citizens of Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea and Nigeria.
Meanwhile, a state of emergency was declared on the Spanish island of El Hierro on Saturday amid a surge in migrant arrivals. Local authorities said more than 3,300 migrants had reached the island in around 30 boats since the beginning of November.
The Canary Islands have become one of the main entry points for migrants travelling from West Africa to Europe across the Atlantic. With border controls tightening between European and North African countries, some migrants have increasingly turned to this perilous maritime route.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) says people leave Senegal for various reasons, including limited employment opportunities, family pressures and established migrant networks. Many young people risk their lives aboard overcrowded boats in the hope of finding better economic prospects abroad.
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