At least 21 migrants die as boat sinks off Senegal; El Hierro declares emergency

At least 21 people died when a small boat carrying migrants capsized off northwestern Senegal, the Senegalese Interior Ministry confirmed, with the death toll described as provisional as search operations continue.

One person was rescued and 21 bodies were recovered. The incident occurred near Kebemer, some 180 kilometres north of the capital, Dakar.

On Saturday, the ministry stressed the government's "determination to combat people smuggling networks, notably through strengthened cooperation with neighboring countries." Senegalese authorities intercepted 142 migrants on a comparable boat aimed at reaching Spanish territory on Friday; the boat included nationals of multiple West African countries.

The sinking coincided with a surge in arrivals on Spain's Canary Island of El Hierro, where authorities declared an emergency on Saturday. El Hierro officials said more than 3,300 people had arrived aboard around 30 boats since the start of the month. Alpidio Armas, head of the El Hierro regional council, told Spanish television: "We are very concerned... by this sharp increase in arrivals. This is precisely what has led us to declare an emergency in order to ensure a framework of cooperation with higher-level institutions." Armas added that conditions at the island's hospital had become "undesirable."

El Hierro is home to about 11,400 residents. Migrant arrivals to the Canary Islands reached a record 46,000 in 2024, before falling sharply as surveillance and cooperation with African countries increased. Thousands have died in recent years after embarking on boats from the Senegalese coast in order to reach Spain's Canary Islands through the perilous Atlantic route.