No fewer than seven people have perished and a significant number are missing following a boat ferrying about two hundred people trying to get to European shores overturned off the coast of the Gambian coast, authorities say.
The vessel capsized in the early hours of Thursday near Jinack village in the North Bank area and it was later found "grounded on a sandbank", the nation's defense ministry stated in a release.
Nearly one hundred people have been rescued so far and a rescue operation continues for those still missing who were traveling on the capsized craft that was bound for the Canary Islands of Spain.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African migrants seeking entry into European nations.
Close to 47,000 individuals made it to the Canary Islands in the year 2024 and data indicates over 9,000 people have lost their lives during the journey.
Rescue Operation
Following the Wednesday incident, Gambia's naval forces initiated a search operation, involving several naval vessels and a commercial fishing craft that came to assist, the defense officials confirmed.
Authorities say a number of those who died are foreign nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The remains of the seven victims who died were found, and ten of the survivors are described as being in critical condition and getting immediate medical attention.
An Established Corridor
This West African nation is one of the routes taken by migrants seeking to get to European countries, typically through dangerous journeys over water and land.
Over the past few years, the European Union has established pacts with several North African countries designed to limiting illegal migration.
