BANJUL, Gambia, Jan 2, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - President Adama Barrow on Friday said The Gambia was in mourning after at least seven people drowned when a boat carrying undocumented migrants capsized off the country's coast.

The boat, loaded with more than 200 people, made a distress call overnight Wednesday to Thursday 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.

"So far, 102 persons have been rescued, with a number of victims still under medical care," Barrow said in a televised address.

"Sadly, only seven bodies have been recovered but search and rescue operations are ongoing to locate those still unaccounted for."

He added: "On behalf of the government and the people of The Gambia, I extend my sincere condolences to the bereaved families and to all those affected by this heartbreaking tragedy.

"I reassure every parent, relative and loved one anxiously waiting for additional news that you are not alone in this dilemma. The nation grieves with you."

Barrow promised to provide updates on the identities of those who lost their lives, some of whom were not Gambian citizens, and a "comprehensive investigation" into the causes of the tragedy.

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 -- and dangers -- at sea, after Senegal, Mauritania and Morocco increased maritime patrols.

Barrow said in his address that the latest tragedy was a "painful reminder of the dangerous and life-threatening nature of irregular migration".

"Surely, no dream, journey or promise is worth a single loss of life at sea," he added.