In Senegal, at least 21 people have died after a migrant boat sank off the country’s western coast. The vessel sank off the coast of Kebemer, about 180 kilometers north of the capital, Dakar.
Senegal’s Interior Ministry today said authorities have recovered 21 bodies and rescued one survivor, so far. Search and rescue operations are ongoing, with teams mobilized to continue looking for additional survivors. It added that Senegal’s interior minister will visit the site tomorrow.
Authorities have not yet disclosed the total number of people on board. The incident highlights the dangers of the Atlantic migration route from West Africa to Spain’s Canary Islands, considered one of the world’s deadliest migration routes.
According to migrant rights group Walking Borders, at least 635 people lost their lives attempting the crossing in the first five months of this year.
