A boat carrying migrants sank off northwestern Senegal killing at least 21 people in the latest tragedy along the Atlantic Ocean route from Africa to Europe, authorities said.

The Senegalese interior ministry said in a statement that only one person had been rescued in addition to the 21 bodies recovered.

It said the death toll was "provisional" as of late Saturday and that the search was still going on and the families of victims were being helped.

Media reports said the boat capsized on Saturday off the Loumpoul dunes in Kebemer department, between Dakar and the northern city of Saint-Louis.

Tens of migrants intercepted

Le Soleil newspaper said that most of the victims were from the Leona and Thieppe districts in the same department.

Senegalese authorities said on Saturday that they had intercepted 142 migrants, including women and children, who were on a small boat aiming to reach Spain.

Thousands of people from West Africa have died in recent years trying to reach Europe on the dangerous Atlantic route to Spain's Canary islands.