At least seven individuals have died and numerous others are lost after a boat transporting around two hundred migrants attempting to reach Europe overturned near the shoreline of the Gambian coast, officials state.
The craft flipped on Wednesday midnight near Jinack in the northern bank region and it was afterwards located "grounded on a sandbank", the country's defence ministry announced officially.
96 individuals have been rescued so far and a rescue operation continues for the remaining passengers who were on board the capsized craft that was bound for Spain's Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for migrants from Africa trying to reach Europe.
Almost 47,000 people arrived at the Canary Islands in 2024 and estimates over nine thousand individuals have died during the journey.
Search and Rescue Efforts
After Wednesday's accident, Gambia's naval forces launched a search operation, deploying several naval vessels and a fishing boat that joined the effort, the defence ministry reported.
Reports indicate some of the deceased are not from The Gambia and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The bodies of the seven people who drowned were found, and a dozen of the saved are said to be in grave health and receiving urgent medical care.
A Frequent Pathway
Gambia is one of the routes utilized by asylum seekers seeking to get to the EU, often on hazardous voyages by sea and land.
Recently, the European bloc has forged deals with several North African nations with the goal of reducing undocumented migration.
