At least 21 people have died after a boat carrying migrants sank off the coast of Senegal, the country's interior ministry said on Sunday. One survivor has been rescued, and search and rescue operations are continuing for anyone else who may still be in the water.

The accident happened off Kébémer, a town about 180 kilometres north of the capital, Dakar, in north-west Senegal. The ministry said in a statement published on social media that 21 bodies had been recovered by Saturday evening, and it described that figure as provisional.

The boat was a traditional wooden fishing vessel known as a pirogue, and it was carrying people seeking to migrate irregularly when it sank, according to the ministry. The statement did not say how many people were on board, so it is not yet known whether others remain missing.

Search continues as families are supported

Government agencies have been mobilised to continue the search, look for possible survivors and provide support to the families of the victims, the ministry said. The interior minister expressed deep emotion and profound sadness over the tragedy and extended condolences to the bereaved families on behalf of President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and the government.

The minister is expected to visit the site on Monday, 9 November, to express the government's solidarity with the victims' families and the affected communities, the statement added.

Government renews pledge against smuggling networks

The government also renewed its determination to fight human smuggling networks, particularly through stronger cooperation with neighbouring countries. It urged young people to be aware of the dangers of irregular migration and said it remained committed to helping them integrate into society.

Senegal is one of the main departure points for the Atlantic route to Spain's Canary Islands, a crossing that has claimed many lives in recent years. Thousands of people have died attempting to reach the Canary Islands from West Africa, including 635 in the first five months of this year, according to the migrant rights group Walking Borders, Reuters reported.

Officials have not yet said how many people were on board the pirogue, or given the nationalities of the dead and the survivor. The ministry's statement, published on social media on Sunday, gave no further details of the rescue itself, beyond confirming that one person had been pulled from the water alive and that the search for others was continuing.

Because the death toll is provisional and the search is still under way, the final number of victims may change. The ministry said the search would continue and that families would be kept supported while the operation goes on.