No fewer than seven souls have died and many others remain unaccounted for in the wake of a craft ferrying about two hundred migrants seeking to enter European shores sank near the shoreline of The Gambia, officials state.
The boat overturned on Wednesday midnight close to Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was afterwards located "grounded on a sandbank", the country's defence ministry announced officially.
Nearly one hundred people have been rescued so far and a rescue operation continues for those still missing who were traveling on the capsized craft that was en route to the Canary Islands of Spain.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African migrants trying to reach the EU.
Nearly 47,000 people made it to the Spanish archipelago in 2024 and figures suggest in excess of 9,000 migrants have lost their lives in the attempt.
Ongoing Mission
In the aftermath of the disaster, the navy launched a search operation, involving multiple navy ships and a fishing boat that offered help, the defense officials confirmed.
Reports indicate several of the victims are not Gambian nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The deceased of the seven people who perished at sea have been recovered, and 10 of those rescued are said to be in grave health and receiving urgent medical care.
A Common Migration Route
This West African nation is a common pathway utilized by migrants trying to reach European countries, frequently via dangerous journeys by sea and land.
Over the past few years, the European bloc has forged deals with multiple North African nations with the goal of reducing undocumented migration.
