No fewer than seven people lost their lives and a significant number are missing following a vessel carrying about two hundred people attempting to reach European shores capsized near the shoreline of the Gambian coast, authorities say.
The boat overturned on Wednesday midnight near the village of Jinack in the North Bank area and it was later found "grounded on a sandbank", the Gambian military authorities stated in a release.
Nearly one hundred people have been rescued so far and a rescue operation continues for other passengers who were traveling on the capsized craft that was heading towards the Spanish Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic Ocean has emerged as a rising pathway for African migrants trying to reach Europe.
Almost 47,000 individuals arrived at the Spanish archipelago in 2024 and figures suggest in excess of nine thousand individuals have died in the attempt.
Rescue Operation
In the aftermath of the disaster, The Gambian Navy launched a rescue mission, involving several naval vessels and a commercial fishing craft that came to assist, the defense officials reported.
Authorities say a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The remains of the seven victims who died have been retrieved, and 10 of those rescued are said to be in serious condition and receiving urgent medical care.
A Frequent Pathway
The Gambia is one of the routes taken by migrants attempting to enter Europe, typically through dangerous journeys by sea and land.
Recently, the EU has established pacts with several North African nations with the goal of curtailing undocumented migration.
