No fewer than seven individuals have died and a significant number are missing following a vessel ferrying about 200 migrants attempting to reach the European continent overturned near the shoreline of The Gambia, officials state.
The boat overturned late Wednesday night close to Jinack in the North Bank area and it was afterwards located "beached on a shoal", the country's defence 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 aboard the sunken boat that was bound for the Spanish Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African migrants attempting to get to Europe.
Nearly 47,000 people made it to the Canaries in 2024 and estimates over 9,000 people have died trying.
Rescue Operation
In the aftermath of the disaster, Gambia's naval forces initiated a rescue mission, involving a number of military boats and a fishing vessel that came to assist, the defence ministry reported.
Officials state several of the victims are not Gambian nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The remains of the seven victims who perished at sea have been recovered, and 10 of those rescued are reported to be in critical condition and getting immediate medical attention.
A Common Migration Route
This West African nation is one of the routes used by migrants trying to reach Europe, often on dangerous journeys over water and land.
In recent years, the European Union has established pacts with multiple North African nations with the goal of limiting irregular migration.
