At least seven people have died and 96 others were rescued after a boat suspected to be carrying more than 200 migrants capsized overnight in northwest Gambia, authorities have confirmed. The country’s defence ministry said search and recovery operations were ongoing as of Thursday, raising fears that the death toll could rise.
According to the ministry, the vessel capsized around midnight near a village in Gambia’s North Bank region before becoming grounded on a sandbank. A coordinated rescue operation was launched involving three naval speedboats, a coastal patrol vessel and a local fishing canoe whose operators volunteered to assist. Ten of the rescued migrants were reported to be in critical condition and are receiving urgent medical care, though officials did not disclose their nationalities.
The incident is the latest tragedy along the perilous West African migration route to Spain’s Canary Islands, considered one of the world’s deadliest. More than 46,000 irregular migrants reached the Canary Islands in 2024, a record high, while over 10,000 people died attempting the journey, according to rights group Caminando Fronteras. Although irregular migration along the route reportedly fell by 60% in the first 11 months of 2025 due to tighter prevention efforts, deadly accidents persist. In August 2025 alone, at least 70 migrants were killed when a boat believed to have departed from Gambia capsized, underscoring the continued risks faced by those attempting the crossing.
Melissa Enoch
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