One survivor was rescued after a wooden pirogue capsized off Kebemer, with the Interior Ministry initially reporting 21 bodies and APS reporting 34 dead.

Published 9 Nov 2026, 10:19 GMT

2 min read

Fishing boats moored along the Senegalese coast — Boats on the Senegalese coast (file photo)

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At least 34 people have died after a small boat carrying migrants and refugees capsized off the coast of northwestern Senegal over the weekend, the Senegalese Press Agency (APS) has reported.

A statement from the migrant advocacy group Action for Human Rights and Friendship (ADHA) confirmed the death toll of 34 reported by the state news agency.

Senegal's Interior Ministry had earlier reported in a statement on Sunday, November 8, that rescue teams had recovered 21 bodies as of Saturday evening and pulled one survivor from the water.

The ministry said on X that search and rescue operations were continuing for other possible survivors from the vessel, which was carrying people attempting to migrate irregularly. Officials did not state how many passengers were on board.

Local media reports said the flat-bottomed wooden pirogue overturned on Saturday, November 7, off the Loumpoul dunes in the Kebemer department, about 180 kilometres north of the capital, Dakar, between Dakar and Saint-Louis.

Senegalese daily Le Soleil reported that most of the victims were residents of the Leona and Thieppe districts in Kebemer.

Thousands of people have died in recent years trying to reach the archipelago, including 635 people during the first five months of 2026, according to migrant rights organisation Walking Borders.

On Saturday, Spanish authorities on the Canary Island of El Hierro declared an emergency following a sharp rise in arrivals, saying more than 3,300 people had landed on the island aboard roughly 30 boats since the beginning of November.

Araba IncoomAraba Incoom writes on multiple topics with a vast knowledge across different sector. You can almost call me an AI, after all, my initials are Araba Incoom.

At least 34 dead as migrant boat sinks off northwestern Senegal

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