The Gambia: Dozens missing after boat carrying over 200 migrants capsized

Dozens of people are missing after a boat carrying more than 200 migrants on their way to Europe capsized off the coast of the Gambia on New Year's Eve, the nation's leader said late Friday.

At least 102 survivors have been rescued and seven bodies recovered from the boat that capsized in northwest Gambia’s North Bank region, Gambian President Adama Barrow said in a state broadcast.

Some of the survivors were undergoing urgent medical care, he added.

“The national emergency response plan has been activated and the government has deployed adequate resources to intensify efforts and provide assistance to the survivors,” Barrow said.

The emergency services were joined by local fishermen and other volunteers in searching for the victims, days after Wednesday’s incident near the village of Jinack, he said.

It was not clear what led to the latest tragedy. Gambia’s Ministry of Defence said the boat was found “grounded on a sandbank.”

As he condoled with families, the Gambian president vowed a full investigation and called the accident a “painful reminder of the dangerous and life-threatening nature of irregular migration.”

“The government will strengthen efforts to prevent irregular migration and remains determined to create safer and more dignified opportunities for young people to fulfil their dreams,” he added.

Thousands of African people desperate for better opportunities in Europe risk their lives travelling on boats along the Atlantic coast, one of the world’s deadliest migrant routes that connects the West African coast across Gambia, Senegal and Mauritania.

Many migrants seeking to reach Spain via the Canary Islands never make it due to high risks of boats capsizing. More than 3,000 people died trying to reach Spain by sea in 2025.