No fewer than seven souls have died and many others remain unaccounted for after a boat carrying about two hundred people seeking to enter Europe overturned near the shoreline of The Gambia, authorities say.
The craft flipped on Wednesday midnight close to Jinack village in the northern bank region and it was subsequently discovered "stranded on a sandbar", the nation's defense ministry announced officially.
96 individuals were pulled to safety and a rescue operation continues for other passengers who were aboard the shipwrecked vessel that was bound for the Spanish Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for migrants from Africa trying to reach the EU.
Close to 47,000 people made it to the Canary Islands in 2024 and data indicates over 9,000 people have died trying.
Rescue Operation
Following the Wednesday incident, The Gambian Navy launched a search operation, involving several naval vessels and a fishing vessel that offered help, the defence ministry said.
Authorities say some of the deceased are foreign nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The bodies of the seven individuals who perished at sea have been recovered, and a dozen of the saved are said to be in critical condition and getting immediate medical attention.
A Frequent Pathway
Gambia is one of the routes utilized by asylum seekers trying to reach European countries, frequently via dangerous journeys by sea and land.
Recently, the EU has established pacts with a number of North African countries with the goal of curtailing illegal migration.
