The Gambia Red Cross Society said it had recovered the bodies of 12 people after a boat carrying migrants, believed to be trying to reach Europe via the Atlantic route, sank off Jinack Kajata in the North Bank Region.
The organisation said the number of missing people is still unknown. Its volunteers are taking part in the response, handling the victims' bodies with dignity and providing psychosocial support to those affected, in coordination with the authorities and partners.
The Atlantic route is used by West African migrants heading for Spain's Canary Islands, with a growing risk of shipwreck because of the length of the crossings. Tighter measures against irregular migration in Mauritania, Morocco and Senegal have pushed some migrants to look for departure points further south.
