Addis Ababa, January 2, 2026 (FMC) – At least seven people have died and dozens more are missing after a boat carrying around 200 migrants capsized off the coast of The Gambia while attempting to reach Europe, authorities reported.
The vessel overturned around midnight on Wednesday near Jinack village in the North Bank Region and was later found grounded on a sandbank, the country’s Defence Ministry said, as reported by BBC.
So far, 96 people have been rescued, and authorities continue searching for other passengers who were aboard the shipwrecked vessel en route to Spain’s Canary Islands.
The hazardous Atlantic crossing has become an increasingly common route for African migrants seeking to reach Europe. Nearly 47,000 people arrived at the Canary Islands in 2024, while the Spanish non-governmental organization Caminando Fronteras estimates that more than 9,000 migrants have died attempting the journey.
Following Wednesday’s accident, the Gambian Navy launched a search-and-rescue operation involving several naval vessels and a fishing boat that came to assist, the Defence Ministry said, as cited by BBC.
Authorities did not specify the type of boat involved, but such vessels are typically large wooden canoes not designed for journeys exceeding 1,500 km (900 miles) across the Atlantic. They are often overcrowded, heightening the risk of capsizing.
Several of the victims are not Gambian nationals, and their identities are still being verified. The bodies of seven people have been recovered, while 10 of those rescued are reportedly in critical condition and receiving urgent medical care.
The Gambia has increasingly become a departure point for West African migrants and asylum seekers attempting to reach Spain’s Canary Islands and, subsequently, mainland Europe. In recent years, agreements between the European Union and several North African countries aimed at reducing irregular migration have pushed many migrants to undertake the longer and more dangerous Atlantic route.