No fewer than seven individuals have perished and many others are lost following a boat transporting about two hundred people trying to get to the European continent sank near the shoreline of the Gambian coast, authorities say.
The vessel capsized on Wednesday midnight in the vicinity of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was later found "beached on a shoal", the Gambian military authorities stated in a release.
Nearly one hundred people were pulled to safety and a rescue operation continues for the remaining passengers who were aboard the shipwrecked vessel that was en route to Spain's Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic Ocean has emerged as a rising pathway for African asylum seekers seeking entry into Europe.
Almost 47,000 people made it to the Canary Islands in 2024 and estimates in excess of 9,000 people have died during the journey.
Search and Rescue Efforts
In the aftermath of the disaster, Gambia's naval forces launched a rescue mission, deploying several naval vessels and a fishing vessel that offered help, the military confirmed.
Authorities say a number of those who died are foreign nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The bodies of the seven people who perished at sea have been recovered, and ten of the survivors are said to be in serious condition and receiving urgent medical care.
A Frequent Pathway
Gambia is a frequent corridor taken 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 a number of North African nations with the goal of limiting irregular migration.
