The death toll in the Jinack migrant shipwreck has risen as more bodies continued to be recovered in the Gambian and Senegalese territorial waters more than 48 hours after the tragic event.
The Gambian authorities’ initial figures put the death toll at six, but JollofNews can report that nine more bodies were recovered this weekend in the Senegalese town of Sokone while one body was washed ashore on Saturday in Banjul just behind the Jah Oil filling station.
At the time of writing this story, six bodies remained unidentified at the Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital in Banjul while the identities of four bodies were established with three already received by their families. One of the unidentified bodies was that of a child. On Friday, an 18-year-old Isatou Trawally from Jarra Soma was brought to the country’s main referral hospital in Banjul. Her condition was described by doctors as stable, though she complained of medical complications.
Reports indicated that three boys, who were rescued alongside Isatou by the fishermen, had probably since re-united with their families.
The Gambia Government on Thursday confirmed the death of six individuals following the capsizing of a migrant boat, carrying an estimated 235 people. The boat reportedly capsized off the coast of the North Bank Region village of Jinack on 31 December 2025, at around midnight after hitting a sand bank. They individuals, including women and children, were headed for Europe in search of greener pastures. Authorities said “adverse sea conditions and overcrowding” were the probable causes of the shipwreck.
The National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA), which has been coordinating the inter-agency rescue efforts, has already reinforced the country’s main referral hospital with 20 beds while the Gambia Immigration Department provided shelter for some of the rescued individuals. An official of EFSTH thanked the State disaster agency for providing three-square meals for those rescued individuals admitted to the hospital. The Gambia Maritime Administration, the Gambia Red Cross Society, the National Youth Council and the IMO have been giving food and non-food assistance to the rescued individuals.
The Executive Director of the NDMA, Mr. Sanna Dahaba, thanked President Barrow for “activating the emergency response “in a timely manner”, leading to “a well-coordinated interagency intervention”.
“The President was the first responder as he was able to activate the national emergency response in a timely manner and of course, by providing adequate resources for the rescue and recovery operations,” Mr. Dahaba told JollofNews.
He, therefore, thanked President Barrow and all the agencies involved in the search, rescue and recovery efforts.
The Gambia Navy search vessels were scouring the waters for survivors.
