A minimum of seven individuals have perished and numerous others are missing after a boat carrying about 200 people trying to get to European shores overturned near the shoreline of the Gambian coast, authorities say.
The boat overturned on Wednesday midnight in the vicinity of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was afterwards located "stranded on a sandbar", the nation's defense ministry announced officially.
Nearly one hundred people were pulled to safety and a search is continuing for the remaining passengers who were on board the sunken boat that was bound for the Canary Islands of Spain.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic Ocean has emerged as a rising pathway for African asylum seekers trying to reach European nations.
Almost 47,000 people arrived at the Spanish archipelago in the year 2024 and figures suggest in excess of 9,000 migrants have lost their lives during the journey.
Ongoing Mission
After Wednesday's accident, The Gambian Navy began a search operation, deploying several naval vessels and a fishing vessel that joined the effort, the defence ministry reported.
Officials state some of the deceased are foreign nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The deceased of the seven victims who died have been recovered, and ten of the survivors are said to be in serious condition and getting immediate medical attention.
An Established Corridor
The Gambia is a frequent corridor used by migrants attempting to enter the EU, frequently via perilous trips by sea and land.
Recently, the European Union has forged deals with a number of North African nations designed to limiting undocumented migration.
