At least 34 dead as migrant boat sinks off Senegal coast

At least 34 people have died after a small boat carrying migrants and refugees sank off the northwestern coast of Senegal.

Senegal's Interior Ministry said in a report on Sunday that one person was rescued alive from the accident. A report released by the organisation Action for Human Rights and Friendship (ADHA) also confirmed the death toll.

Media reports said the pirogue-type flat-bottomed boat capsized on Saturday near the Loumpoul dunes in the Kebemer department, between the capital Dakar and the northern city of Saint-Louis. Local media said most of the dead were from the Leona and Thieppe areas of the same department.

Thousands of people attempting to reach Spain's Canary Islands from West Africa have died in recent years. According to the migrant rights group Walking Borders, 635 people died in the first five months of this year alone.

Meanwhile, Spanish authorities on Saturday declared an emergency on El Hierro in the Canary Islands following a sudden rise in the arrival of migrant boats. Officials said more than 3,300 people have arrived on El Hierro on around 30 boats since the beginning of November.

UPDATE: Search operations are continuing and the Interior Ministry says the number of missing people remains unconfirmed. The founder of migrant aid group Boza Fii said all bodies recovered so far were Senegalese. President Bassirou Diomaye Faye offered condolences and urged citizens not to risk dangerous sea journeys. He pledged to intensify action against smuggling networks and create more opportunities for young people at home.