At least seven souls have perished and a significant number are lost after a boat transporting approximately two hundred people trying to get to European shores capsized off the coast of the Gambian coast, reports confirm.
The craft flipped in the early hours of Thursday near the village of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was later found "grounded on a sandbank", the nation's defense ministry said in a statement.
96 individuals have been saved to date and a hunt is ongoing for other passengers who were aboard the sunken boat that was en route to the Spanish Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African asylum seekers attempting to get to the EU.
Close to forty-seven thousand migrants arrived at the Spanish archipelago in 2024 and estimates over nine thousand individuals have died during the journey.
Rescue Operation
Following the Wednesday incident, The Gambian Navy began a search operation, involving several naval vessels and a fishing vessel that came to assist, the defence ministry reported.
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 10 of those rescued are reported to be in serious condition and getting immediate medical attention.
A Frequent Pathway
The Gambia is a common pathway utilized by migrants seeking to get to the EU, often on hazardous voyages over water and land.
In recent years, the EU has established pacts with multiple Maghreb states aimed at reducing illegal migration.
