At least 34 people have died after a boat heading across the Atlantic for Spain’s Canary Islands sank off the coast of Senegal. The disaster happened between the capital Dakar and the northern city of Saint-Louis, according to the Senegalese Press Agency (APS).
Senegal’s interior ministry said only one person has been rescued alive so far, and it is not yet clear how many are missing. All the bodies recovered are those of Senegalese nationals, said Saliou Diouf, founder of the Senegalese migrant support group Boza Fii. Rescue work is continuing to identify the other passengers and search for the missing.
President Bassirou Diomaye Faye expressed his deep grief and offered condolences to the bereaved families. He urged young people not to undertake such dangerous sea journeys and gave a firm pledge to dismantle the human trafficking networks.
The Atlantic crossing to the Canary Islands is extremely dangerous for migrants. According to the Spanish migrant rights group Walking Borders (Caminando Fronteras), 635 deaths were recorded on the route between January and May this year. Of every 100 people who try to reach the Canary Islands this way, about 21 die.
A state of emergency has meanwhile been declared on Spain’s island of El Hierro because of the migrant arrivals. Local authorities say more than 3,300 people have reached the island on about 30 boats since the start of November alone. Last Friday, Senegalese authorities stopped another boat carrying 142 migrants bound for Spain.
According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), a lack of jobs, family pressure and the hope of better earnings abroad are driving young Senegalese to risk their lives on these routes.
Figures from the country’s statistics agency show that in the second quarter of 2026 nearly one in four young people in Senegal was unemployed, a major challenge for its young population.
To tackle the crisis, the Senegalese government has announced stepped-up operations against trafficking and smuggling networks and closer cooperation with neighbouring countries.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report