At least seven people have perished and many others are missing after a boat transporting about two hundred people attempting to reach the European continent overturned near the shoreline of Gambia, reports confirm.
The vessel capsized late Wednesday night in the vicinity of the village of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was subsequently discovered "grounded on a sandbank", the country's defence ministry stated in a release.
Nearly one hundred people have been saved to date and a hunt is ongoing for other passengers who were on board the capsized craft that was bound for Spain's Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for migrants from Africa seeking entry into the EU.
Almost 47,000 people made it to the Spanish archipelago in the year 2024 and figures suggest over nine thousand individuals have lost their lives trying.
Ongoing Mission
After Wednesday's accident, Gambia's naval forces initiated a rescue mission, involving multiple navy ships and a fishing boat that came to assist, the defence ministry reported.
Authorities say a number of those who died are not from The Gambia and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The remains of the seven individuals who drowned have been retrieved, and 10 of those rescued are reported to be in grave health and receiving urgent medical care.
A Common Migration Route
Gambia is a common pathway taken by asylum seekers trying to reach Europe, often on hazardous voyages over water and land.
Over the past few years, the EU has reached agreements with a number of Maghreb states designed to curtailing undocumented migration.
