- At least 20 people were killed this week when a migrant boat capsized off Senegal’s northern coast.
- The boat was headed for Europe, but capsized near the town of St. Louis.
- The body washed up on the beach Wednesday afternoon and fire departments began responding.
A boat capsized off Senegal’s northern coast, killing at least 20 people and injuring many others, officials said, underscoring the dangers of the sea route for a growing number of West African migrants heading to Spain.
The boat, bound for Europe, capsized near the town of Saint-Louis and the body washed ashore on Wednesday afternoon, local governor Alioune Badala Sambé said, and the fire department was alerted.
He said the injured were being treated at a St. Louis hospital and an investigation had been launched into the circumstances of the accident.
Dozens of African immigrants are found crammed in the basement of a store, taking turns sleeping
The number of migrants leaving Senegal in rickety wooden boats surged last year, with nearly 1,000 people dying trying to reach Spain by sea in the first half of 2023, according to Walking Borders, a Spanish migrant advocacy group.
Children gather on the beach at sunset in Fasboi, Senegal, August 29, 2023. At least 20 people were killed and many others injured after a boat capsized off Senegal’s northern coast, officials said. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana, File)
Factors such as youth unemployment, political instability and the effects of climate change are forcing migrants to risk their lives on board crowded ships.
Senegal’s ‘pseudo-legal’ travel agency offers ‘complete package’ to transport migrants to border
Senegal has been plunged into chaos after elections scheduled for February were controversially postponed by the president, sparking deadly protests. Elections have been proposed for June, but it is unclear when or if the president, whose term officially ends in April, will step down.
