It added that 10 of the rescued migrants were in critical condition and were receiving urgent medical attention.
Gambian authorities have confirmed that seven bodies were recovered and 96 people rescued after a boat transporting migrants capsized overnight, the country’s defence ministry said on Thursday.
In a statement, the ministry said the vessel was “allegedly carrying over 200 migrants” when the incident occurred.
It added that 10 of the rescued migrants were in critical condition and were receiving urgent medical attention.
The tragedy underscores the dangers of the Atlantic migration route from the coast of West Africa to the Canary Islands, a route commonly used by African migrants attempting to reach Spain and considered one of the world’s deadliest.
European Union figures show that more than 46,000 irregular migrants reached the Canary Islands in 2024, the highest number ever recorded, according to Reuters.
Meanwhile, the rights group Caminando Fronteras reported that more than 10,000 people died attempting the journey in the same year, a 58 per cent increase compared with 2023.
The latest incident follows another deadly accident in August 2025, when at least 70 people were killed after a boat believed to have departed from Gambia capsized, one of the deadliest migrant boat disasters in recent years.