No fewer than seven individuals lost their lives and numerous others remain unaccounted for after a vessel carrying about 200 migrants seeking to enter Europe overturned in waters near the Gambian coast, officials state.
The boat overturned late Wednesday night near the village of Jinack in the North Bank area and it was afterwards located "grounded on a sandbank", the Gambian military authorities stated in a release.
96 individuals have been rescued so far and a search is continuing for those still missing who were aboard the shipwrecked vessel that was en route to the Spanish Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African migrants trying to reach the EU.
Close to 47,000 people made it to the Canaries in the year 2024 and estimates more than 9,000 migrants have died during the journey.
Search and Rescue Efforts
After Wednesday's accident, Gambia's naval forces launched a search-and-rescue operation, deploying several naval vessels and a fishing vessel that joined the effort, the defence ministry said.
Reports indicate several of the victims are foreign nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The remains of the seven people who perished at sea were found, and a dozen of the saved are described as being in serious condition and getting immediate medical attention.
An Established Corridor
The Gambia is one of the routes taken by asylum seekers attempting to enter the EU, often on dangerous journeys by sea and land.
Recently, the European Union has reached agreements with a number of Maghreb states with the goal of limiting undocumented migration.
