At least 7 dead, many missing as migrant boat sinks off GambiaBANJUL, Gambia, Jan 2, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - At least seven people drowned and many are missing after a boat carrying some 200 people capsized during the night of Wednesday to Thursday off the coast of Gambia, the government said. At least 96 were rescued, many of whom were seriously wounded. Alerted by a distress call, the Gambian Navy launched a search and rescue operation after midnight, involving several naval vessels and a fishing boat that came to assist, according to the statement. Several of the victims have been identified as not being of Gambian nationality and the authorities are currently verifying their identity, the statement added. Numerous Africans seek to reach Spain's Canary Islands as a gateway to continental Europe, taking perilous voyages into the Atlantic.

Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha January 02, 2026 02:58 UTC