A suspected migrant boat caught fire off the coast of Nuumi Bunyadu in the North Bank Region of The Gambia in the early hours of Monday, June 15, 2026. Several occupants of the boat sustained burn injuries and were evacuated and transported to Essau Hospital for medical treatment. The Regional Commissioner of Police for the North Bank Region, Mustapha Sowe, coordinated the emergency rescue operation. A joint response was carried out by the Gambia Immigration Department, the Gambia Fire and Rescue Services, the Gambia Police Force, the Gambia Navy, and the Gambia Red Cross Society. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined.

According to kerrfatou.com, all 72 passengers on board were rescued. Foroyaa.net reported that the 72 rescued individuals included 61 males, 12 females, and five minors, and consisted of 35 Senegalese nationals, 33 Gambians, three Sierra Leoneans, and one Guinean. The point.gm reported that the captain of the vessel remains unaccounted for. Foroyaa.net reported that the rescue operation was supported by Spain’s Guardia Civil and the Common Operational Partnership Project (COP 2).

On Monday, March 17, 2025, foroyaa.net reported that the Gambia Immigration Department intercepted 29 suspected would-be migrants in the North Bank Region, including 17 Senegalese, 8 Gambians, 4 Conakry Guineans, and 1 Malian. These events occurred on different dates and involve different numbers and locations; accounts do not confirm they are the same incident.

Kerrfatou.com reported that Inspector Lamin Jammeh of the Gambia Immigration Department described the rescue as the result of strong interagency collaboration. Foroyaa.net reported that Lamin Jammeh, a Senegalese national, confessed to being a sub-agent facilitating irregular migration. Authorities arrested suspects in Barra and nearby communities on March 17, 2025.