Fear after dozens of deaths in shipwreck in Senegal

At least 26 people have died after a boat carrying migrants capsized off the coast of Senegal.

Authorities said there were more than 100 people on board the wooden fishing vessel when it sank just 4 km (2.5 miles) into the water.

Distressed relatives and friends have gathered along the beach, anxiously awaiting news of their loved ones.

So far four people have been rescued and the search is still ongoing.

The boat left Mbour, about 80km south of the capital Dakar, and was heading to Spain’s Canary Islands, off the coast of West Africa.

In recent years, the number of migrants leaving West Africa via Senegal has increased dramatically.

It is mainly young men fleeing conflict, poverty and unemployment who attempt to take the dangerous Atlantic route to the Spanish islands. This year, almost 30,000 arrivals have been recorded.

Spain is one of the European countries that receives the most migrants, with the Mediterranean route remaining the most popular.

But more and more West African migrants are choosing to travel to the Canary Islands via the Atlantic Ocean.

Despite the dangers, it is only one step, instead of having to cross both the Sahara and the Mediterranean.

The influx of migrants attempting the crossing prompted the Spanish prime minister to visit three West African countries last month – Senegal, Mauritania and Gambia – for crisis talks with leaders.

Earlier this year, a $227 million deal was struck between the EU and Mauritania to strengthen border security. Spain was a key partner in the talks in Mauritania that led to this.