No fewer than seven people have died and many others are lost following a boat carrying approximately two hundred migrants trying to get to European shores overturned in waters near the Gambian coast, authorities say.
The boat overturned late Wednesday night close to Jinack in the North Bank area and it was later found "stranded on a sandbar", the country's defence ministry stated in a release.
96 individuals were pulled to safety and a search is continuing for the remaining passengers who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was heading towards Spain's Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic Ocean has become an increasingly common route for African migrants trying to reach Europe.
Almost 47,000 individuals arrived at the Spanish archipelago in the year 2024 and estimates in excess of nine thousand individuals have died in the attempt.
Rescue Operation
Following the Wednesday incident, the navy launched a rescue mission, involving a number of military boats and a fishing boat that joined the effort, the defence ministry confirmed.
Reports indicate a number of those who died are foreign nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The bodies of the seven victims who drowned have been recovered, and 10 of those rescued are described as being in grave health and receiving urgent medical care.
A Frequent Pathway
The Gambia is a frequent corridor used by asylum seekers seeking to get to Europe, often on hazardous voyages by sea and land.
Over the past few years, the EU has reached agreements with a number of North African countries with the goal of limiting undocumented migration.
