A minimum of seven people have perished and many others remain unaccounted for in the wake of a boat carrying about two hundred migrants trying to get to European shores sank off the coast of Gambia, reports confirm.
The boat overturned on Wednesday midnight near Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was afterwards located "grounded on a sandbank", the nation's defense ministry stated in a release.
Ninety-six people have been rescued so far and a rescue operation continues for the remaining passengers who were on board the capsized craft that was bound for Spain's Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African migrants attempting to get to European nations.
Nearly 47,000 individuals arrived at the Canaries in the year 2024 and figures suggest over 9,000 migrants have died trying.
Ongoing Mission
In the aftermath of the disaster, Gambia's naval forces initiated a search operation, using several naval vessels and a fishing boat that joined the effort, the defence ministry reported.
Officials state several of the victims are not Gambian nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The deceased of the seven victims who died have been retrieved, and ten of the survivors are said to be in critical condition and getting immediate medical attention.
A Common Migration Route
Gambia is one of the routes taken by migrants attempting to enter European countries, typically through dangerous journeys by sea and land.
In recent years, the EU has reached agreements with multiple Maghreb states aimed at reducing irregular migration.
