No fewer than seven individuals have perished and a significant number remain unaccounted for in the wake of a vessel ferrying around 200 people seeking to enter Europe sank near the shoreline of the Gambian coast, authorities say.
The boat overturned in the early hours of Thursday close to Jinack village in the North Bank Region and it was subsequently discovered "beached on a shoal", the nation's defense ministry announced officially.
Ninety-six people were pulled to safety and a rescue operation continues for those still missing who were on board the shipwrecked vessel that was bound for the Spanish Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for migrants from Africa trying to reach the EU.
Nearly 47,000 people reached the Canaries in the year 2024 and figures suggest more than 9,000 migrants perished trying.
Search and Rescue Efforts
Following the Wednesday incident, the navy initiated a rescue mission, using multiple navy ships and a fishing boat that offered help, the military confirmed.
Officials state several of the victims are not Gambian nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The remains of the seven people who drowned were found, and a dozen of the saved are said to be in critical condition and receiving urgent medical care.
An Established Corridor
Gambia is a common pathway taken by migrants attempting to enter European countries, typically through perilous trips over water and land.
Over the past few years, the European Union has established pacts with multiple Maghreb states designed to limiting undocumented migration.
