At least seven people have been confirmed dead and many others remain missing after a boat carrying around 200 migrants capsized off the coast of The Gambia, according to local authorities.
The incident occurred around midnight on Wednesday near Jinack village in the North Bank Region. The country’s defence ministry said the vessel later ran aground on a sandbank after overturning.
So far, 96 people have been rescued, while search efforts continue for other passengers who were believed to be on board. The boat was heading toward Spain’s Canary Islands, a destination that has become increasingly common for African migrants attempting to reach Europe.
Following the accident, the Gambian Navy launched a search-and-rescue operation involving several naval vessels, with assistance from a local fishing boat, the defence ministry said.
Although officials did not specify the type of boat involved, migrants on this route typically travel in large wooden canoes that are not designed for the more than 1,500-kilometre Atlantic crossing and are often dangerously overcrowded.
Authorities said several of the victims are foreign nationals, and efforts are ongoing to verify their identities. The bodies of seven people have been recovered, while 10 of those rescued are reported to be in critical condition and receiving urgent medical treatment.
The Atlantic route to the Canary Islands has grown more active in recent years. Nearly 47,000 migrants reached the islands in 2024, while Spanish NGO Caminando Fronteras estimates that more than 9,000 people died attempting the crossing.
The Gambia has increasingly become a departure point for West African migrants and asylum seekers seeking to reach Europe. Analysts say tighter European Union agreements with North African countries have contributed to migrants taking the longer and more dangerous Atlantic route in search of safer passage.
