Senegal officials raise migrant boat death toll to 39

The death toll from the sinking of a migrant boat off Senegal rose to 39 on Monday, authorities said -- one of the country's deadliest migration tragedies in recent years.

Thousands of would-be migrants have died recently trying to reach Spain's Canary Islands from west Africa.

The migrants shipwrecked off Senegal had been travelling in a wooden boat known as a pirogue, which could be seen broken in two and severely damaged on a deserted stretch of coastline in the village of Thieppe in the country's northwest.

The victims were from the region, particularly Thieppe and the village of Potou, according to information gathered by AFP on the ground.

Thousands of would-be migrants have died in recent years trying to reach Spain's Canary Islands from west Africa. By Patrick MEINHARDT (AFP)

A zone has been demarcated around the pirogue with tape, and firefighters and gendarmes were deployed

The toll had stood at 35 on Sunday evening, but Louga regional Governor Ndeye Nguenar Mbodj increased the figure by four on Monday morning.

Mbodj said the four latest bodies were found in "a very advanced state of decomposition" and that authorisation had been requested to bury them on-site.

Senegalese authorities also said they had intercepted 142 migrants on Friday who were on a similar small boat aiming to reach Spain.

The group included 23 women, two babies and two other children, and were from Senegal, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea and Nigeria, according to police.

Meanwhile Spanish authorities on the Canary Island of El Hierro declared an emergency on Saturday after a surge in migrant boat arrivals.

Since the start of November, El Hierro authorities said more than 3,300 people had arrived aboard around 30 boats.