39 Dead After Migrant Boat Capsizes Off Senegal Coast, Search Operation Underway

At least 39 people have died after a boat carrying migrants sank off northwestern Senegal, with only one survivor rescued as search and recovery operations continue. The death toll rose from an initial 21 after additional bodies were recovered on Monday, according to the country's emergency services. Several passengers are still believed to be missing.

The wooden pirogue, a traditional flat-bottomed fishing boat, had departed from Saint-Louis in northern Senegal and was heading towards Spain when it capsized off Kébémer, near the Loumpoul dunes, between Dakar and Saint-Louis. Authorities have not confirmed how many people were aboard or what caused the vessel to overturn.

There have also been differing accounts of when the disaster occurred. While media reports initially placed the accident on Saturday, November 7, Saliou Diouf, founder of Senegalese migrant support organisation Boza Fii, told AFP that the sinking happened on Friday, November 6. He said the nationalities of all those aboard were not yet confirmed, although the bodies recovered on Saturday were Senegalese.

President Bassirou Diomaye Faye expressed condolences and said state authorities and resources had been mobilised to locate missing passengers, assist the survivor and support affected families. He also pledged action against networks organising dangerous crossings. Senegal's interior minister is expected to visit the affected region.

In a separate operation on November 6, authorities intercepted 142 migrants aboard another boat bound for Spain. The group included 23 women, two babies and two other children from Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea and Nigeria.

The tragedy comes amid growing migration attempts along the Atlantic route to Spain's Canary Islands. Rights group Walking Borders reported that at least 635 migrants died during the first five months of 2026 while attempting the crossing. Tighter maritime patrols by Senegal, Mauritania and Morocco have pushed departures further south, lengthening journeys and increasing risks at sea.

Meanwhile, Spain's Canary Island of El Hierro declared an emergency after more than 3,300 migrants arrived on around 30 boats since November began.