Headline: Dozens Missing After Boat Carrying Over 200 Migrants Capsized Off Gambia’s Coast

BANJUL, Gambia (KOKCHANEWS) — Dozens are missing after a boat carrying more than 200 migrants on their way to Europe capsized off the coast of Gambia, the West African nation’s leader said late Friday (January 1, 2026), setting off a frantic search and rescue operation.

Gambia’s President Adama Barrow stated in a state broadcast that at least 102 survivors have been rescued and seven bodies recovered from the boat that capsized on New Year’s Eve (December 31, 2025) in northwest Gambia’s North Bank region.

President Barrow added that emergency services, joined by local fishermen and other volunteers, have been searching for victims for days following Wednesday’s incident (December 30, 2025) near the village of Jinack.

Thousands of Africans desperate for better opportunities in Europe risk their lives traveling 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. For instance, in August 2025, around 150 people were either dead or missing after their boat, which had departed from Gambia, capsized off the coast of Mauritania. A similar incident in July 2024 claimed the lives of more than a dozen migrants, with 150 others declared missing.

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

“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. He also noted that some of the 102 survivors were undergoing urgent medical care.

While offering condolences to the affected families, Barrow vowed a full investigation and called the accident a “painful reminder of the dangerous and life-threatening nature of irregular migration.” He added, “The government will strengthen efforts to prevent irregular migration and remains determined to create safer and more dignified opportunities for young people to fulfill their dreams.”