At least seven souls lost their lives and many others are missing after a craft ferrying approximately 200 migrants attempting to reach European shores capsized near the shoreline of The Gambia, authorities say.
The boat overturned late Wednesday night near the village of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was subsequently discovered "grounded on a sandbank", the nation's defense ministry announced officially.
Nearly one hundred people have been rescued so far and a rescue operation continues for other passengers who were on board the sunken boat that was en route to the Canary Islands of Spain.
The hazardous trip over the the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for migrants from Africa trying to reach European nations.
Nearly forty-seven thousand migrants made it to the Canaries in 2024 and data indicates over 9,000 people have died during the journey.
Search and Rescue Efforts
Following the Wednesday incident, The Gambian Navy began a rescue mission, using multiple navy ships and a fishing boat that joined the effort, the military reported.
Authorities say several of the victims are not Gambian nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The bodies of the seven victims who died have been retrieved, and a dozen of the saved are reported to be in serious condition and receiving urgent medical care.
A Frequent Pathway
The Gambia is a frequent corridor taken by asylum seekers seeking to get to Europe, often on dangerous journeys across ocean and terrain.
Over the past few years, the European Union has established pacts with a number of North African nations with the goal of reducing illegal migration.
