No fewer than seven individuals have died and numerous others remain unaccounted for after a boat transporting about 200 people attempting to reach European shores sank off the coast of the Gambian coast, reports confirm.
The boat overturned in the early hours of Thursday near Jinack in the northern bank region and it was later found "grounded on a sandbank", the nation's defense ministry announced officially.
96 individuals have been rescued so far and a rescue operation continues for the remaining passengers who were traveling on the capsized craft that was heading towards the Canary Islands of Spain.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African migrants attempting to get to the EU.
Almost 47,000 people arrived at the Spanish archipelago in the year 2024 and estimates over nine thousand individuals perished trying.
Search and Rescue Efforts
In the aftermath of the disaster, Gambia's naval forces initiated a search-and-rescue operation, involving several naval vessels and a fishing vessel that joined the effort, the defence ministry reported.
Authorities say a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The deceased of the seven victims who drowned have been retrieved, and 10 of those rescued are described as being in grave health and receiving urgent medical care.
A Frequent Pathway
The Gambia is one of the routes used by migrants attempting to enter the EU, typically through perilous trips across ocean and terrain.
In recent years, the European Union has reached agreements with multiple North African nations aimed at curtailing illegal migration.
