At least 31 dead in New Year's migrant boat sinking off Gambia

At least 31 people drowned when an overloaded boat carrying undocumented migrants capsized on New Year's Eve off the coast of Gambia, the government said on Monday, hiking the previous toll.

"Many others (are) missing and feared dead," the government said in an update.

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.

In the latest such tragedy, a boat loaded with more than 200 people made a distress call overnight, December 31 to January 1, 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.

"Fifteen bodies are confirmed to be recovered from the Gambia and 16 in Senegal," said the government in its update, hiking the previous toll of at least 7 dead. 102 people were rescued, 23 of whom were hospitalised.

President Adama Barrow said on Friday that the country was in mourning over the disaster.