A minimum of seven people lost their lives and numerous others remain unaccounted for in the wake of a vessel carrying about two hundred migrants seeking to enter European shores sank near the shoreline of The Gambia, authorities say.
The boat overturned late Wednesday night close to Jinack village in the North Bank Region and it was afterwards located "stranded on a sandbar", the country's defence ministry stated in a release.
Ninety-six people have been saved to date and a hunt is ongoing for other passengers who were traveling on the sunken boat that was heading towards the Spanish Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African migrants seeking entry into the EU.
Nearly forty-seven thousand migrants reached the Canaries in 2024 and estimates more than 9,000 migrants have lost their lives trying.
Rescue Operation
In the aftermath of the disaster, the navy initiated a rescue mission, using multiple navy ships and a fishing boat that joined the effort, the defence ministry reported.
Authorities say a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The bodies of the seven people who drowned have been recovered, and 10 of those rescued are said to be in grave health and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Frequent Pathway
This West African nation is a frequent corridor taken by migrants trying to reach the EU, typically through perilous trips across ocean and terrain.
In recent years, the European Union has forged deals with several North African countries aimed at curtailing illegal migration.
