By Haddy Touray
At least 102 migrants have been rescued and several others are feared dead after an overcrowded boat capsized off the Atlantic coast near Jinack Kajata Village in North Bank Region, the Gambia Immigration Department (GID) said on Sunday.
According to a GID press release signed by its Public Relations Officer, Inspector Sima Lowe, the incident occurred shortly after midnight on January 1, 2026, when a boat carrying about 200 would-be migrants capsized shortly after departure. The boat was reportedly heading toward Spain’s Canary Islands on an irregular migration route.
Preliminary investigations indicate that the boat struck an underwater sandbank a few hours after leaving the shore, resulting in multiple deaths and injuries. Survivors later raised distress calls and were rescued by the Gambia Navy with support from local fishing boats.
As of January 4, joint search and rescue operations by Gambian and Senegalese authorities had recovered 15 bodies in The Gambia and 16 in Senegal, while many others remain missing and are feared dead.
The GID said a total of 102 migrants were rescued, including 23 who were currently hospitalised. Eighty-two survivors were handed over to immigration authorities and received medical attention and family-tracing support in collaboration with the Gambia Red Cross Society and the National Disaster Management Agency.
Those handed over include 40 Gambians, 31 Senegalese, seven Guineans, two Ivorians and two Malians. Among them are 73 males and eight females, including two minors. The hospitalised victims comprise nationals of The Gambia, Senegal, Guinea and Mali.
The investigation has identified two suspected organisers of the journey: Amadou, a Senegalese national, and Omar Manneh, a Gambian resident of Jinack. They are accused of recruiting migrants, organising logistics and coordinating the route involving migrants from several West African countries. Other residents of the Jinack area are also suspected of harbouring and assisting the migrants.
Witnesses told investigators that the migrants had stayed in Jinack village for over a month prior to departure. The GID further alleged that, after the distress calls, the suspected organisers arrived at the scene and rescued only the boat’s captain, crew and some family members, leaving other passengers behind.
The GID described the incident as a case of organised migrant smuggling that exploited vulnerable people and led to “unnecessary loss of life and suffering.” It reiterated its commitment to pursuing those responsible and intensifying efforts, in cooperation with national and international partners, to combat irregular migration.
The department also expressed condolences to the affected families and thanked national emergency response agencies for their cooperation in responding to the tragedy.
