At least 34 people have died after a small wooden migrant boat capsized off the coast of Senegal between Dakar and Saint-Louis while heading toward Spain’s Canary Islands, according to the Senegalese Press Agency (APS).
The country’s interior ministry reported that one person has been rescued, while the exact number of missing individuals remains unestablished as search operations continue. Saliou Diouf, founder of the migrant aid group Boza Fii, stated that all recovered bodies so far belong to Senegalese nationals.
Spanish migrant rights group Walking Borders recorded 635 deaths on the Atlantic route to the Canary Islands between January and May 2026, marking it as the highest toll among the routes it monitors. In response to the tragedy, President Bassirou Diomaye Faye expressed condolences to the victims’ families, urged citizens to avoid the perilous sea crossings, and pledged via X to intensify efforts to dismantle smuggling networks and provide local opportunities for youth. (Newswire/BBC)