Dozens Missing After Migrant Boat Capsizes Off Gambia Coast

Dozens of people are feared missing after a boat carrying more than 200 migrants bound for Europe capsized off the coast of Gambia, President Adama Barrow said late Friday, triggering a large-scale search and rescue operation.

In a state broadcast, Barrow said at least 102 survivors have been rescued and seven bodies recovered from the vessel, which overturned on New Year’s Eve in the North Bank region of northwest Gambia. The incident occurred near the village of Jinack.

Emergency services, assisted by local fishermen and volunteers, have been conducting search operations since Wednesday to locate those still unaccounted for, the president said.

Thousands of Africans seeking better opportunities in Europe attempt the perilous Atlantic route every year, one of the world’s deadliest migration corridors stretching along the West African coast through Gambia, Senegal and Mauritania. Many migrants trying to reach Spain via the Canary Islands never arrive, as overcrowded and unsafe boats frequently capsize.

In August 2025, around 150 people were reported dead or missing after a boat from Gambia capsized off the coast of Mauritania. A similar tragedy in July 2024 left more than a dozen migrants dead, with 150 others declared missing.

The cause of the latest accident remains unclear. Gambia’s Ministry of Defence said the boat was found “grounded on a sandbank.”

Barrow said the national emergency response plan has been activated, with the government deploying additional resources to intensify rescue efforts and provide assistance to survivors. Some of the rescued migrants are receiving urgent medical care.

Expressing condolences to the affected families, the president announced a full investigation into the incident, describing it as a “painful reminder of the dangerous and life-threatening nature of irregular migration.”

He added that the government would strengthen efforts to curb irregular migration and work towards creating safer and more dignified opportunities for young people to pursue their aspirations.