No fewer than seven individuals lost their lives and numerous others are lost in the wake of a craft carrying about two hundred migrants seeking to enter Europe overturned near the shoreline of the Gambian coast, officials state.
The boat overturned on Wednesday midnight in the vicinity of Jinack village in the northern bank region and it was later found "grounded on a sandbank", the nation's defense ministry said in a statement.
Nearly one hundred people were pulled to safety and a rescue operation continues for the remaining passengers who were aboard the sunken boat that was bound for the Spanish Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African asylum seekers seeking entry into European nations.
Close to forty-seven thousand migrants reached the Canary Islands in the year 2024 and figures suggest over nine thousand individuals have lost their lives during the journey.
Search and Rescue Efforts
After Wednesday's accident, The Gambian Navy began a search operation, involving a number of military boats and a fishing vessel that came to assist, the defence ministry reported.
Authorities say some of the deceased are foreign nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The deceased of the seven people who drowned were found, and 10 of those rescued are said to be in serious condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
An Established Corridor
The Gambia is a common pathway used by migrants seeking to get to European countries, typically through dangerous journeys by sea and land.
Over the past few years, the European Union has reached agreements with several Maghreb states aimed at reducing undocumented migration.
