The Library Media — National & World · World Desk
Eleven Still Unnamed: Senegal Counts and Identifies the 39 Dead From the Sunken Migrant Boat
By Maya Wilson
Follow The Library Media
Senegal has identified 24 of the 39 people who died when a small wooden boat carrying migrants sank off its coast, while 11 victims remain unidentified and four others were buried after a collective funeral prayer, the country’s Interior Ministry said. The update, reported by the Senegalese Press Agency, APS, brings a fuller account of the victims and the continuing search along the coast, after the sinking of a boat travelling between Dakar and Saint-Louis, Senegal, and heading for Spain’s Canary Islands.
The boat sank in the Atlantic off Senegal, according to APS. The Interior Ministry said one person was rescued, but the number still missing has not yet been established. The uncertainty leaves families waiting for news of relatives who may have been aboard the vessel, while search teams continue to work along the coast.
Of the 39 victims, 24 have been identified and their bodies have been returned to their families, the ministry said. Eleven await identification. Four bodies recovered on Monday morning, in an advanced state of decomposition, were buried after a collective funeral prayer organised by the fire service.
Saliou Diouf, founder of the migrant aid group Boza Fii, told Agence France-Presse that all the bodies recovered by Sunday evening were Senegalese. Other nationalities among the victims have yet to be established, he said.
Rescue teams are searching a 25-kilometre (15-mile) stretch of coastline, facing difficult access and strong currents, according to the report. The search area reflects the scale of the challenge in recovering further victims and establishing how many people were on board.
President Bassirou Diomaye Faye expressed his condolences and urged Senegalese people not to risk the crossings. On X, he pledged to continue the fight against those who organise the journeys. The Interior Ministry said efforts against people-smuggling networks, including cooperation with neighbouring countries, would continue.
The sinking is the latest reminder of the dangers of the Atlantic route to the Canary Islands. Walking Borders, a migrant aid organisation, recorded 635 deaths on that route from January to May 2026.
Senegalese authorities intercepted another boat on Friday carrying 142 migrants, including 23 women, two babies and two other children. The interception underscores the continuing scale of attempted crossings, even as the search for victims of the sinking continues.
The pressure on the route has also been felt in Spain. A state of emergency was declared on Saturday on El Hierro, in the Canary Islands, after more than 3,300 people reached the island in about 30 boats since the beginning of November.
The identification process remains incomplete. With 11 victims still unnamed and the number of missing people yet to be established, the final toll and the full list of those who died may still change. For the families of the 24 identified victims, the return of their bodies offers a measure of closure. For others, the wait continues.
— Maya Wilson, World Desk
From The Library — the estate of our family.