At least 39 people have died after a migrant boat sank off the coast of Gambia, according to government officials, as survivors described the vessel as overcrowded and in poor condition.
Officials from Gambia’s migration authority and the defense ministry said the death toll had risen significantly from an initial figure of seven announced last week. More than 200 people are believed to have been on board the boat when it capsized.
Seima Lou, public relations officer at the Gambia Immigration Department, said that a total of 112 people had been rescued as of Monday. Survivors told Reuters that the boat had been heading towards Europe.
The route used by migrants from West Africa to reach Spain via the Canary Islands is considered one of the most dangerous migration paths in the world. Many migrants attempt the journey in unseaworthy vessels, risking long stretches of open ocean.
A defense ministry official said that 24 bodies were recovered in Gambia, while 15 were found along the coast of Senegal. The migrants on board were from several countries, including Gambia, Senegal, Guinea, Mali, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso and Sierra Leone.
The Gambian government said it has intercepted more than 2,700 people attempting to migrate irregularly so far in 2025, highlighting the continued pressure driving dangerous sea crossings despite the growing death toll.
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