At least seven individuals have perished and numerous others are lost after a boat ferrying around 200 migrants trying to get to the European continent capsized off the coast of the Gambian coast, authorities say.
The boat overturned on Wednesday midnight in the vicinity of Jinack village in the North Bank area and it was subsequently discovered "grounded on a sandbank", the country's defence ministry stated in a release.
96 individuals were pulled to safety and a rescue operation continues for the remaining passengers who were traveling on the capsized craft that was heading towards the Spanish Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for migrants from Africa seeking entry into Europe.
Nearly 47,000 individuals reached the Spanish archipelago in 2024 and data indicates over 9,000 people perished during the journey.
Ongoing Mission
In the aftermath of the disaster, Gambia's naval forces launched a rescue mission, using multiple navy ships and a commercial fishing craft that joined the effort, the defense officials reported.
Officials state several of the victims are foreign nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The deceased of the seven people who died have been retrieved, and ten of the survivors are said to be in grave health and getting immediate medical attention.
An Established Corridor
This West African nation is one of the routes utilized by migrants trying to reach the EU, often on perilous trips over water and land.
Over the past few years, the EU has forged deals with multiple Maghreb states designed to reducing undocumented migration.
