More than 21 people are feared dead after a refugee boat capsized in an accident near Senegal, a northwest African country.
As of Saturday night, the Senegalese Interior Ministry said the death toll was "provisional," that search operations were continuing, and that assistance was being provided to the families of those affected.
Officials said 21 people were killed when a small boat carrying migrants capsized off the northern coastal area of Senegal, a northwest African country, during the dangerous journey from Africa to Europe across the Atlantic Ocean.
21 bodies have been recovered, and only one person has been rescued alive, according to a statement issued by Senegal’s Ministry of the Interior.
Media reports say the accident occurred on Saturday near the Loumpoul sand dunes in the Kébémer region, between Dakar and the northern city of Saint-Louis. However, Bosa Fii, Senegal’s main migrant aid association, said the accident took place on Friday.
Another tragic incident has occurred as thousands who have tried to reach Spain’s Canary Islands by boat from West Africa via this route have died in just the first six months of this year.
People from countries affected by war and poverty are making this dangerous sea journey in the hope that by reaching Spain’s Canary Islands, they can gain refuge in Europe.
As the sea route from West Africa to Spain is said to be highly dangerous, thousands of people each year try to reach Europe by crossing the perilous Atlantic Ocean.
Meanwhile, Senegalese authorities on Friday intercepted 142 migrants aboard another small boat that was heading toward Spain.
According to police information, the group included 23 women, two infants, and two boys. They were from Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, and Nigeria.
Senegalese authorities also said they intercepted 142 migrants on Friday who had arrived in a similar small boat, aiming to reach Spain.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the Senegalese government said it was determined to eliminate human trafficking gangs and would do so, in particular, by strengthening cooperation with neighboring countries.
Authorities on Spain’s Canary Island of El Hierro declared an emergency on Saturday after a sudden surge in migrant arrivals by boat.
Since the beginning of November, more than 3,300 people have arrived on El Hierro in around 30 boats, local authorities said.
