Banjul, Gambia – The death toll from the sinking of a migrant boat off the coast of Gambia has risen to 31, in one of the most tragic incidents in the region in recent times, as the search continues for those still missing at sea.
The Gambian Immigration Department stated in an official statement issued today that the ill-fated boat was carrying approximately 200 undocumented migrants and had departed from the coastal area of Genak late at night, heading towards the Spanish Canary Islands on a perilous journey across the Atlantic Ocean.
The statement explained that initial findings indicate the boat struck an underwater sandbar off the coast of Genac, causing it to lose balance and sink rapidly before the passengers could escape or call for help.
Authorities confirmed that rescue teams saved 102 undocumented migrants. Twenty-three of them were taken to nearby hospitals for medical treatment due to varying injuries and severe exhaustion, while the remaining survivors received first aid at temporary shelters.
An unspecified number of passengers remain missing, amid fears that the death toll could rise in the coming hours or days as search and rescue operations continue, involving the coast guard and emergency teams.
The Gambian immigration authority announced the launch of an official investigation to determine the circumstances of the incident, identify those responsible, and uncover the networks involved in organizing illegal migration journeys from the Gambian coast to Europe.
The sea route to the Canary Islands is one of the most dangerous routes for irregular migration, claiming the lives of hundreds of migrants annually, fueled by deteriorating economic conditions and the increasing activity of human trafficking networks in West Africa.
