According to military authorities, at least thirty decaying bodies have been discovered on a yacht off the coast of Senegal.
According to a military statement on X, the navy was notified of a vessel that was adrift roughly 70 km (45 miles) from the capital Dakar. On Monday morning, they towed the wooden canoe, or pirogue, into port.
The advanced condition of decomposition of the bodies is making recovery, identification, and transfer activities extremely delicate, according to the statement.
The number of migrants leaving Senegal for Spain’s Canary Islands, which are more than 1,500 kilometers (950 miles) across the Atlantic Ocean, has increased recently.
The migrants were most likely drifting on the Atlantic Ocean for several days when fisherman discovered them, based on how decayed the bodies were.
According to the army, inquiries are being conducted to ascertain the boat’s departure time and location as well as the number of passengers.
A local fisherman discovered at least 14 decaying bodies off the coast of the Dominican Republic in August. The bodies are thought to be those of Senegalese migrants.
Earlier on
In response to an increase in fatalities linked to migration, Senegal’s government unveiled a 10-year plan to combat illegal migration in August.
In recent weeks, hundreds of migrants on boats off the coast of the nation have been apprehended by the police.
Despite frequent tragedies, unemployment and poverty push young men from West Africa to risk the route to Spain’s Canary Islands. Overfishing by foreign trawlers forces Senegalese fishermen to either migrate or let smugglers use their boats. The Canary Islands route is increasingly used due to its single but dangerous journey. In 2023, Frontex reported a 161% rise in migrants using this route, with 40,000 reaching the islands last year. Nearly 1,000 are confirmed dead or missing, though the true toll is likely higher.
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