A migrant boat sank near Kébémer, killing 34 people and leaving one survivor, the Senegalese Press Agency (APS) reported Sunday, citing an unnamed official as search operations continued.
The agency’s tally followed a provisional count of 21 bodies and one survivor from the Ministry of the Interior and Public Security for the evening of Nov. 7. The ministry said searches for possible survivors and help for affected families were continuing. EconoTimes reported the earlier count.
APS reported that about 20 bodies were recovered from Lompoul beach on Nov. 7. Gendarmes and firefighters took them for identification, the agency said. Louga regional governor Ndèye Nguénar Mbodj visited the sites Sunday to oversee efforts to identify and preserve the bodies.
The ministry said Senegal would maintain search operations and family assistance, alongside regional efforts to disrupt people-smuggling networks. APS said Sunday that the interior minister was expected to visit the area Monday, Nov. 9.
Separately, the Caminando Fronteras Collective counted 635 victims on the Atlantic route to Spain’s Canary Islands from Jan. 1 through May 31, 2026, calling it the deadliest route among those it monitored. That figure covers the wider route and period, not the Kébémer incident.
