At least seven people have died and a significant number are missing after a craft ferrying about two hundred migrants seeking to enter European shores capsized near the shoreline of Gambia, reports confirm.
The boat overturned late Wednesday night close to the village of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was subsequently discovered "grounded on a sandbank", the nation's defense ministry stated in a release.
96 individuals have been saved to date and a hunt is ongoing for those still missing who were traveling on the sunken boat that was en route to the Spanish Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic Ocean has emerged as a rising pathway for migrants from Africa seeking entry into the EU.
Close to 47,000 individuals reached the Spanish archipelago in 2024 and figures suggest in excess of 9,000 people have died trying.
Rescue Operation
Following the Wednesday incident, Gambia's naval forces initiated a search operation, involving several naval vessels and a commercial fishing craft that joined the effort, the defence ministry confirmed.
Officials state a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The bodies of the seven victims who died have been retrieved, and 10 of those rescued are reported to be in serious condition and getting immediate medical attention.
A Common Migration Route
This West African nation is one of the routes taken by migrants attempting to enter Europe, frequently via hazardous voyages across ocean and terrain.
In recent years, the EU has established pacts with a number of Maghreb states aimed at reducing illegal migration.
