At least 39 people died after a boat carrying migrants toward Europe sank off the coast of Senegal, according to authorities and rescue teams. The vessel was heading for Spain's Canary Islands, the destination for thousands of West Africans who attempt the Atlantic crossing each year.
Rescue workers recovered bodies from the water and searched for survivors. The circumstances of the sinking were not immediately clear, and officials did not say how many people had been on board.
A route that keeps taking lives
The Atlantic passage to the Canary Islands has become one of the most dangerous migration routes in the world. Boats typically leave from Senegal, Mauritania or Gambia in open wooden fishing vessels, often carrying far more passengers than they were built for and without life jackets or navigation equipment.
The crossing runs for hundreds of kilometres of open ocean before reaching Spanish waters. When an engine fails or a boat takes on water, there is usually no other vessel nearby to help. Migrant groups say bodies are frequently never found, which makes the true death toll impossible to establish.
Pressure builds on the islands
The Canary Islands have received a rising number of arrivals in recent years, straining reception centres and prompting Spain to seek help from the European Union and from West African governments. Spain has expanded patrols and rescue coordination with countries along the departure coast, but the departures have continued.
Analysts say the traffic is driven by a mix of factors: limited work at home, political instability in the Sahel and the perception that reaching Spanish territory offers a path to legal status.
What happens next
Senegalese authorities have opened an investigation into the sinking, and local officials said coastal communities were helping with the search. Aid agencies called for more legal routes for migrants, arguing that enforcement alone has not reduced the number of people willing to risk the crossing.