At least seven individuals have perished and many others are missing following a boat ferrying around 200 people trying to get to the European continent overturned near the shoreline of the Gambian coast, authorities say.
The vessel capsized late Wednesday night near Jinack in the North Bank area and it was afterwards located "stranded on a sandbar", the nation's defense ministry said in a statement.
Nearly one hundred people have been saved to date and a rescue operation continues for other passengers who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was en route to the Canary Islands of Spain.
The hazardous trip over the the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African asylum seekers seeking entry into the EU.
Nearly 47,000 individuals reached the Spanish archipelago in 2024 and data indicates over 9,000 migrants have lost their lives in the attempt.
Ongoing Mission
After Wednesday's accident, The Gambian Navy launched a search operation, using several naval vessels and a fishing vessel that offered help, the defense officials said.
Reports indicate a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The bodies of the seven people who drowned have been recovered, and 10 of those rescued are reported to be in grave health and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Common Migration Route
The Gambia is one of the routes taken by asylum seekers attempting to enter Europe, frequently via hazardous voyages over water and land.
Over the past few years, the EU has forged deals with a number of Maghreb states aimed at curtailing undocumented migration.
