A minimum of seven individuals have perished and many others are missing following a vessel transporting approximately two hundred people seeking to enter Europe overturned near the shoreline of Gambia, officials state.
The boat overturned late Wednesday night in the vicinity of Jinack in the North Bank area and it was afterwards located "grounded on a sandbank", the Gambian military authorities announced officially.
Ninety-six people have been rescued so far and a rescue operation continues for the remaining passengers who were on board the sunken boat that was heading towards Spain's Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for migrants from Africa attempting to get to European nations.
Almost 47,000 individuals reached the Spanish archipelago in 2024 and data indicates in excess of nine thousand individuals have lost their lives trying.
Rescue Operation
Following the Wednesday incident, The Gambian Navy initiated a search operation, involving several naval vessels and a fishing vessel that offered help, the military said.
Reports indicate several of the victims are not from The Gambia and that their details are still being checked.
The deceased of the seven individuals who died have been recovered, and ten of the survivors are reported to be in serious condition and receiving urgent medical care.
An Established Corridor
Gambia is a common pathway used by migrants trying to reach European countries, frequently via hazardous voyages by sea and land.
Over the past few years, the European Union has forged deals with multiple North African nations designed to limiting irregular migration.
