No fewer than seven people have died and many others remain unaccounted for after a craft transporting approximately 200 migrants trying to get to European shores overturned off the coast of the Gambian coast, authorities say.
The boat overturned on Wednesday midnight in the vicinity of the village of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was subsequently discovered "beached on a shoal", the Gambian military authorities announced officially.
96 individuals have been rescued so far and a rescue operation continues for those still missing who were on board the sunken boat that was en route to the Spanish Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African migrants attempting to get to European nations.
Almost 47,000 individuals reached the Canaries in the year 2024 and estimates more than nine thousand individuals have died trying.
Search and Rescue Efforts
In the aftermath of the disaster, Gambia's naval forces initiated a search operation, involving several naval vessels and a fishing vessel that joined the effort, the defence ministry said.
Authorities say several of the victims are not Gambian nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The remains of the seven victims who perished at sea have been retrieved, and 10 of those rescued are said to be in critical condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Frequent Pathway
Gambia is a common pathway taken by asylum seekers seeking to get to Europe, often on perilous trips by sea and land.
Recently, the EU has established pacts with multiple North African nations aimed at curtailing illegal migration.
