At least 21 people died in the sinking of a pirogue off the coast of Kébémer, in northwestern Senegal, according to a report released on the evening of Saturday, November 7, by the Senegalese Ministry of the Interior.
The provisional report also mentioned one survivor. State services continued on Sunday to search for possible survivors and to support the families, while the circumstances of the shipwreck and the total number of people on board remained unknown.
The bodies were found on the Lompoul coastline, in the Tébène area. Gendarmes and firefighters took part in the recovery operations before the transfer of the remains for identification.
Four bodies were reported on Friday on the beach of Tébène 2. Searches conducted on Saturday led to the discovery of additional victims before the authorities confirmed the death toll at 21.
The tragedy occurred as Senegalese forces intercepted another pirogue on Friday, November 6, off the coast of Keur Massar in the suburbs of Dakar, carrying 142 people bound for Spain. The National Gendarmerie reported having seized an engine and containers holding 3,760 liters of fuel.
The intercepted group included 40 Senegalese, 93 Gambians, one Bissau-Guinean, two Guineans, and two Nigerians. Among the passengers were twenty-one women, two infants, and two other minor children.
According to the International Organization for Migration, 3,708 people reached the Canary Islands via this route in the first half of 2026. During the same period, 59 boats did not complete the crossing and 168 people died or went missing.
Passengers injured during the interception in Keur Massar, notably by burns, were evacuated to healthcare facilities in Keur Massar and the Dalal Jamm hospital in Guédiawaye. The others were taken to the investigative brigade for the purposes of the inquiry.
