By Emmanuel Nduka
At least 39 people have died after a boat carrying migrants capsized off the coast of Senegal, following the recovery of additional bodies by emergency responders, authorities have confirmed.
The ill-fated vessel, which was carrying people attempting to reach Europe through the perilous Atlantic migration route, overturned off the coastal town of Kébémer, about 180 kilometres north of Dakar, Senegal’s capital.
The country’s Interior Ministry had initially confirmed that 21 bodies were recovered, with only one survivor rescued as of Saturday evening. However, the death toll climbed to 39 on Monday after emergency services discovered additional bodies during ongoing search and recovery operations.
The exact number of passengers aboard the boat remains unknown, while several people are still believed to be missing.
The vessel reportedly departed from Saint-Louis in northern Senegal and was heading towards the Spanish coast, following a migration corridor frequently used by thousands of West Africans seeking better economic opportunities in Europe.
Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye expressed condolences to the victims’ families and survivors, pledging renewed efforts to dismantle criminal networks facilitating dangerous irregular migration journeys.
The latest disaster adds to the mounting death toll along the Atlantic migration route linking West Africa to Spain’s Canary Islands, widely regarded as one of the world’s most dangerous migration corridors.
According to Spanish migrant rights organisation Walking Borders, at least 635 people died while attempting the crossing in the first five months of 2026 alone.
The latest tragedy comes amid heightened efforts by Senegal, Mauritania and Morocco to strengthen maritime surveillance and clamp down on irregular migration. Increased patrols around traditional departure points have reportedly pushed some migrant boats towards more southerly departure locations, extending the distance and duration of their already hazardous journeys.
In a related development, Senegalese authorities recently intercepted another boat carrying 142 migrants, including 23 women and four children, as they attempted to travel towards Spain.
Meanwhile, authorities on Spain’s Canary Island of El Hierro declared an emergency following a surge in migrant arrivals, with more than 3,300 people reportedly arriving aboard approximately 30 boats since the beginning of November.
The latest fatalities underscore the continuing humanitarian cost of irregular migration across the Atlantic, where overcrowded vessels, unpredictable ocean conditions and prolonged journeys continue to expose thousands of desperate travellers to life-threatening dangers.
