No fewer than seven people lost their lives and many others remain unaccounted for following a boat ferrying approximately two hundred migrants attempting to reach European shores capsized off the coast of Gambia, reports confirm.
The vessel capsized late Wednesday night close to the village of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was afterwards located "grounded on a sandbank", the nation's defense ministry said in a statement.
96 individuals have been saved to date and a rescue operation continues for the remaining passengers who were on board the capsized craft that was en route to the Spanish Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African asylum seekers attempting to get to the EU.
Close to 47,000 individuals reached the Canary Islands in the year 2024 and figures suggest in excess of 9,000 people perished in the attempt.
Rescue Operation
In the aftermath of the disaster, The Gambian Navy began a rescue mission, involving several naval vessels and a fishing vessel that joined the effort, the military said.
Authorities say some of the deceased are not Gambian nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The bodies of the seven victims who drowned were found, and 10 of those rescued are described as being in serious condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Frequent Pathway
This West African nation is a common pathway taken by migrants trying to reach the EU, frequently via perilous trips across ocean and terrain.
Over the past few years, the EU has established pacts with several Maghreb states with the goal of limiting illegal migration.
