At least seven souls lost their lives and a significant number are lost following a boat ferrying about two hundred people trying to get to Europe sank near the shoreline of The Gambia, reports confirm.
The boat overturned in the early hours of Thursday near the village of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was afterwards located "stranded on a sandbar", the Gambian military authorities said in a statement.
96 individuals have been rescued so far and a hunt is ongoing for those still missing who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was bound for the Canary Islands of Spain.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic Ocean has emerged as a rising pathway for African migrants trying to reach European nations.
Almost 47,000 people reached the Spanish archipelago in 2024 and data indicates more than 9,000 migrants have died in the attempt.
Search and Rescue Efforts
In the aftermath of the disaster, The Gambian Navy launched a search operation, involving multiple navy ships and a commercial fishing craft that came to assist, the defence ministry reported.
Officials state some of the deceased are not from The Gambia and that their identities are still being verified.
The remains of the seven individuals who died were found, and a dozen of the saved are said to be in critical condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Frequent Pathway
Gambia is a common pathway taken by asylum seekers attempting to enter the EU, frequently via perilous trips by sea and land.
In recent years, the European Union has forged deals with several Maghreb states designed to reducing irregular migration.
