A minimum of seven souls have died and numerous others are missing in the wake of a vessel carrying around two hundred migrants attempting to reach Europe sank near the shoreline of Gambia, authorities say.
The boat overturned late Wednesday night close to Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was later found "stranded on a sandbar", the nation's defense ministry stated in a release.
Ninety-six people have been saved to date and a rescue operation continues for those still missing who were traveling on the capsized craft that was en route to the Canary Islands of Spain.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African migrants trying to reach European nations.
Almost 47,000 people made it to the Canaries in 2024 and figures suggest more than nine thousand individuals have lost their lives during the journey.
Rescue Operation
In the aftermath of the disaster, The Gambian Navy began a rescue mission, involving multiple navy ships and a fishing boat that joined the effort, the military said.
Authorities say a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The deceased of the seven people who drowned have been retrieved, and 10 of those rescued are said to be in grave health and receiving urgent medical care.
A Common Migration Route
The Gambia is a frequent corridor used by migrants attempting to enter European countries, often on perilous trips across ocean and terrain.
Over the past few years, the European bloc has established pacts with several North African nations with the goal of reducing illegal migration.
