BANJUL: At least 31 people drowned when an overloaded boat carrying undocumented migrants capsized on New Year&#39;s Eve off the coast of Gambia, the government said on Monday, hiking the previous toll. &quot;Many others (are) missing and feared dead,&quot; the government said in an update. Thousands of people, most of them young, have tried to reach Europe from West Africa, mainly via the Spanish Canary Islands, on overcrowded and often dilapidated boats due to restrictions on visas and tighter border security. Migrant boats have been forced to leave from further south, notably from The Gambia and Guinea, adding to the journey &mdash; and dangers &mdash; at sea, after Senegal, Mauritania, and Morocco increased maritime patrols. In the latest such tragedy, a boat loaded with more than 200 people made a distress call overnight, December 31 to January 1, near the North Bank region. The Gambian Navy launched a hunt for survivors after midnight, involving several vessels and a fishing boat. The stricken vessel was later found on a sandbank. &quot;Fifteen bodies are confirmed to be recovered from the Gambia and 16 in Senegal,&quot; said the government in its update, hiking the previous toll of at least 7 dead. 102 people were rescued, 23 of whom were hospitalized. President Adama Barrow said on Friday that the country was in mourning over the disaster.

Africa

The Gambian Navy launches hunt for survivors, involving several vessels and a fishing boat; stricken vessel found on a sandbank.

At least 31 dead in New Year's migrant boat sinking off Gambia

DAKAR: At least 12 people died on Wednesday after a boat filled with migrants seeking to reach Europe sank off the coast of Senegal, security sources said. The coastal west African country is one of the main departure points for the thousands of Africans who for years have been taking the perilous Atlantic route to reach Europe, primarily via the Spanish Canary Islands, aboard overcrowded and often dilapidated boats. The latest sinking came in the waters off the town of Mbour when a boat loaded with around 100 people capsized, a security source told AFP on condition of anonymity. &quot;Twelve bodies were retrieved,&quot; the source said. A second security source confirmed the toll to AFP. &quot;There were 32 survivors. The others probably fled&quot; before rescue services arrived on the scene, one source told AFP. President Bassirou Diomaye Faye expressed condolences to the families of the victims in a social media post on Wednesday. &quot;We share their sorrow and their pain while the search continues to find any survivors,&quot; he said. On Tuesday, police intercepted 123 migrants aboard a boat in Senegal&#39;s Thies region.

Coastal west African country is one of main departure points for the thousands of Africans who for years have been taking the perilous Atlantic route to reach Europe, primarily via the Spanish Canary Islands, aboard overcrowded and often dilapidated boats.

Articles tagged with "Boat capsize"

At least 31 dead in New Year's migrant boat sinking off Gambia

12 die as migrant boat sinks off Senegal