A minimum of seven people lost their lives and many others are missing after a boat carrying around 200 migrants seeking to enter Europe sank near the shoreline of the Gambian coast, reports confirm.
The boat overturned in the early hours of Thursday in the vicinity of the village of Jinack in the North Bank area and it was subsequently discovered "grounded on a sandbank", the country's defence ministry stated in a release.
Ninety-six people have been rescued so far and a search is continuing for other passengers who were on board the capsized craft that was heading towards Spain's Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African migrants trying to reach European nations.
Nearly forty-seven thousand migrants arrived at the Canaries in 2024 and figures suggest in excess of nine thousand individuals have lost their lives trying.
Ongoing Mission
In the aftermath of the disaster, The Gambian Navy began a search-and-rescue operation, involving several naval vessels and a fishing vessel that offered help, the military confirmed.
Authorities say some of the deceased are not Gambian nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The remains of the seven people who died have been retrieved, and 10 of those rescued are said to be in grave health and receiving urgent medical care.
A Frequent Pathway
This West African nation is a common pathway taken by migrants attempting to enter European countries, often on perilous trips over water and land.
In recent years, the European bloc has reached agreements with multiple Maghreb states designed to reducing undocumented migration.
