Canoe runs aground in Gandiol, 171 migrants rescued
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Ouestaf
Senegalese gendarmerie rescued 171 people after a canoe ran aground at Pilote Bar, in the municipality of Gandiol, northern Senegal. The passengers, who had left the Gambian coast for Spain, included Senegalese and Gambian nationals and one Guinean; no deaths were reported, according to the gendarmerie.
Senegalese gendarmerie rescued 171 would-be migrants after their canoe ran aground at Pilote Bar, in the municipality of Gandiol, on 20 October 2026. No deaths were reported, the national gendarmerie announced the same day.
The survivors included 37 Senegalese nationals, including two women, 114 Gambians, including 60 women, and one Guinean national. Twelve children were among the passengers, according to the gendarmerie. Seven people were taken to Saint-Louis Regional Hospital for treatment.
The passengers had boarded during the night of 15 October from the Gambian coast, bound for Spain. Each had reportedly paid between 300,000 and 600,000 CFA francs for the journey, according to the gendarmerie. Poor weather conditions and rough seas halted the crossing. Canoe operators from Guet-Ndar helped the vessel dock at Pilote Bar.
Summary produced with the help of artificial intelligence tools, under AFREEQUE’s editorial responsibility.
