On Monday, November 9, Senegalese authorities raised the death toll from a migrant-boat sinking off the country’s northwest coast to 39, while one survivor was reported and the search continued.
Four more bodies were found that morning. Senegal’s state news agency said 35 bodies had been recovered by Sunday evening. The wooden boat, known locally as a pirogue, was found wrecked near Thieppe, in the Kébémer area, about 180 kilometres north of Dakar.
The boat had been carrying people seeking to migrate without following official procedures. Officials have not said how many passengers were aboard. The Interior Ministry’s first report on Sunday put the death toll at 21 and said one person had survived.
The death toll rose as more bodies were recovered. The victims were reportedly from nearby communities, including Thieppe and Potou. The search continued along the coast.
Senegalese rights group Action for Human Rights and Friendship called for an investigation by Parliament into the country’s response to migration outside official channels and repeated deadly crossings. Interior Minister Mouhamadou Makhtar Cissé visited the area and offered condolences to families. He urged action against the networks organizing dangerous journeys.