At least seven souls lost their lives and many others remain unaccounted for in the wake of a boat ferrying about 200 migrants attempting to reach Europe overturned near the shoreline of Gambia, reports confirm.
The boat overturned late Wednesday night near Jinack village in the North Bank Region and it was later found "grounded on a sandbank", the country's defence ministry said in a statement.
96 individuals have been saved to date and a rescue operation continues for those still missing who were on board the shipwrecked vessel that was heading towards the Canary Islands of Spain.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African asylum seekers attempting to get to the EU.
Almost forty-seven thousand migrants arrived at the Canaries in the year 2024 and figures suggest over nine thousand individuals have lost their lives in the attempt.
Search and Rescue Efforts
Following the Wednesday incident, Gambia's naval forces began a search-and-rescue operation, using several naval vessels and a commercial fishing craft that came to assist, the defense officials said.
Officials state a number of those who died are not from The Gambia and that their identities are still being verified.
The deceased of the seven individuals who perished at sea have been retrieved, and ten of the survivors are reported to be in critical condition and receiving urgent medical care.
A Frequent Pathway
Gambia is one of the routes used by asylum seekers seeking to get to European countries, typically through hazardous voyages by sea and land.
In recent years, the European Union has forged deals with multiple North African countries aimed at limiting undocumented migration.
