The Senegalese military has reported the grim discovery of at least 30 decomposing bodies aboard a drifting vessel located about 70 km (38 nautical miles) off the coast of Dakar.
The navy was alerted to the boat’s presence on Sunday evening, prompting a patrol team to be dispatched immediately to the scene, according to an official statement.
“Thirty bodies have been counted so far,” the statement confirmed, noting that further investigation is needed to determine the exact death toll and the boat’s origin.
Due to the advanced state of decomposition, identifying the victims has proven challenging, authorities said.
The boat may be linked to the perilous Atlantic migration route, often used by African migrants attempting to reach Spain’s Canary Islands. This route is one of the deadliest in the world, with nearly 5,000 migrants reportedly losing their lives at sea in the first five months of 2024, according to the migration advocacy group Walking Borders.