Trending 
At least seven people have been confirmed dead, and several others are still missing after a boat carrying about 200 people capsized off the coast of Gambia late on Wednesday night, the government has said.
In a statement, authorities said 96 passengers were rescued, many of them with serious injuries, following the incident, which occurred around midnight on December 31, 2025, near Jinack Village in the North Bank Region.
“The Government of The Gambia is aware of a tragic maritime incident involving a boat allegedly transporting over 200 migrants, reported to have capsized around midnight on December 31, 2025, in the vicinity of Jinack Village in the North Bank Region,” it said.
Credit: AP News
The Gambian Navy launched a search-and-rescue operation shortly after receiving a distress call, deploying multiple naval vessels with support from a nearby fishing boat. The capsized vessel was later discovered grounded on a sandbank.
Officials said preliminary findings indicated that several of the victims were not Gambian nationals, adding that efforts were ongoing to verify the identities of those involved.
The tragedy signals the dangers faced by African migrants attempting to reach Spain’s Canary Islands, often seen as a gateway to mainland Europe.
In recent years, tighter maritime controls in Senegal, Mauritania, and Morocco have prompted migrant boats to depart from more distant points, including the coasts of The Gambia and Guinea-Conakry, thereby increasing the length and risks of the journey across the Atlantic.
