Boat carrying over 200 migrants capsizes off Gambia
The Atlantic route from West Africa to the Canary Islands, used by migrants heading to Spain, is among the world’s deadliest.
Seven bodies were recovered, and 96 people were rescued after a boat transporting migrants capsized overnight off the coast of Gambia, the Banjul defence ministry has said.
The vessel was "allegedly carrying over 200 migrants", the ministry said in a statement on Thursday, adding that 10 of the rescued migrants were in critical condition and receiving urgent medical attention.
The whereabouts of the rest on board were not discussed in the statement as rescue operations continue.
The Atlantic migration route from the coast of West Africa to the Canary Islands, typically used by African migrants trying to reach Spain, is one of the world's deadliest.
More than 46,000 irregular migrants reached the Canary Islands in 2024, a record, according to the European Union.
More than 10,000 died attempting the journey, a 58 percent increase over 2023, according to the rights group Caminando Fronteras.
At least 70 people were killed in August 2025 when a boat believed to have departed from Gambia carrying migrants capsized, in one of the deadliest accidents in recent years.