dpa
Dakar
At least 26 people drowned when a boat carrying migrants went down off the coast of Senegal, the Senegalese navy said on Tuesday.
Officials fear that there may be more fatalities. The Senegalese navy said it had recovered a total of 26 bodies by Tuesday after the boat sank shortly after setting sail from the coastal town of Mbour on Sunday.
More than 200 people reportedly could have been on board the fishing boat.
Despite the enormous risk, people from Senegal and its neighbouring countries in West Africa continue to make the 1,500-kilometre journey across the Atlantic to the Canary Islands, which belong to Spain.
During the rescue operations, the Senegalese navy reported that it had intercepted two boats with a further 421 migrants on board off the coast, including 20 children.
In the past three months alone, the navy reported that it had stopped more than 1,700 people on boats attempting to leave the country.