A minimum of seven individuals have died and a significant number are lost following a vessel transporting about two hundred migrants seeking to enter Europe overturned in waters near the Gambian coast, authorities say.
The vessel capsized in the early hours of Thursday near Jinack village in the North Bank Region and it was subsequently discovered "beached on a shoal", the Gambian military authorities stated in a release.
Ninety-six people have been rescued so far and a hunt is ongoing for those still missing who were on board the sunken boat that was en route to Spain's Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African migrants trying to reach European nations.
Close to 47,000 people reached the Spanish archipelago in 2024 and estimates over 9,000 migrants have lost their lives trying.
Rescue Operation
After Wednesday's accident, Gambia's naval forces began a search-and-rescue operation, involving a number of military boats and a fishing vessel that joined the effort, the defense officials confirmed.
Authorities say a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The remains of the seven individuals who perished at sea have been recovered, and a dozen of the saved are described as being in serious condition and receiving urgent medical care.
A Common Migration Route
This West African nation is one of the routes utilized by migrants attempting to enter the EU, frequently via hazardous voyages by sea and land.
Over the past few years, the European Union has reached agreements with multiple North African nations aimed at reducing undocumented migration.
