September 10 (EUROPA PRESS) –
Senegalese authorities on Monday recovered nine bodies of people who were on board a boat carrying nearly 200 people off the coast of the western Senegalese city of Mbour, amid search and rescue efforts in the area.
Among the dead are four men and five women, whose bodies have been transferred to the morgue of the Thierno Mansour Barro hospital, Mbour prefect Amadou Diop told the Senegalese news agency APS.
So far, four people have been identified, three of whom were residents of Mbour and one from Touba, Mali, said the mayor of the city of Mbour, Cheikh Issa Sall.
“This phenomenon is depriving us of our youth. Everyone must be aware in the hope of stopping this haemorrhage,” said the mayor, adding that one of the victims was an 18-year-old schoolgirl.
The vessel is believed to have set off on its journey, with the Canary Islands as a possible destination, on Sunday afternoon. The Spanish Civil Guard has deployed an aircraft to carry out aerial surveillance tasks in the area, while a patrol boat has joined the Senegalese Navy to support the operations.
Journeys between the coast of Senegal and the Canary Islands are frequent, even though the Atlantic route, with strong currents and waves, is considered one of the most dangerous routes to Europe, although in 2023 it saw an increase in the number of movements.
According to data published by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) on its website, nearly 4,800 people have died or been reported missing between 2014 and 2024 while trying to complete the journey between West Africa and the Canary Islands.
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