A minimum of seven individuals have perished and numerous others are lost following a boat ferrying around 200 migrants attempting to reach Europe overturned in waters near The Gambia, authorities say.
The boat overturned on Wednesday midnight in the vicinity of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was later found "grounded on a sandbank", the Gambian military authorities said in a statement.
Ninety-six people have been saved to date and a rescue operation continues for those still missing who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was heading towards the Spanish Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic Ocean has grown into a more frequent path for African asylum seekers trying to reach the EU.
Almost 47,000 people reached the Canaries in the year 2024 and data indicates over nine thousand individuals perished trying.
Rescue Operation
After Wednesday's accident, the navy initiated a search-and-rescue operation, deploying a number of military boats and a fishing vessel that offered help, the defense officials said.
Officials state several of the victims are not Gambian nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The deceased of the seven individuals who drowned have been retrieved, and a dozen of the saved are said to be in serious condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Frequent Pathway
Gambia is a frequent corridor utilized by migrants attempting to enter Europe, often on hazardous voyages across ocean and terrain.
Recently, the EU has forged deals with a number of North African nations aimed at curtailing illegal migration.
