No fewer than seven individuals have died and many others are lost following a boat ferrying around 200 people attempting to reach European shores sank near the shoreline of the Gambian coast, authorities say.
The vessel capsized late Wednesday night close to Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was afterwards located "beached on a shoal", the nation's defense ministry stated in a release.
Nearly one hundred people have been rescued so far and a hunt is ongoing for those still missing who were traveling on the capsized craft that was heading towards the Spanish Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic Ocean has become an increasingly common route for African asylum seekers trying to reach the EU.
Almost forty-seven thousand migrants reached the Canaries in 2024 and estimates more than 9,000 people have lost their lives trying.
Rescue Operation
In the aftermath of the disaster, The Gambian Navy launched a search-and-rescue operation, involving a number of military boats and a fishing boat that joined the effort, the military said.
Officials state some of the deceased are foreign nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The remains of the seven people who died were found, and 10 of those rescued are described as being in critical condition and getting immediate medical attention.
A Common Migration Route
The Gambia is a frequent corridor used by migrants seeking to get to the EU, often on hazardous voyages by sea and land.
In recent years, the EU has established pacts with several Maghreb states designed to curtailing irregular migration.
