No fewer than seven people lost their lives and numerous others remain unaccounted for in the wake of a vessel ferrying about 200 migrants attempting to reach European shores overturned off the coast of the Gambian coast, reports confirm.
The craft flipped on Wednesday midnight close to Jinack village in the northern bank region and it was afterwards located "beached on a shoal", the country's defence ministry announced officially.
Nearly one hundred people have been rescued so far and a rescue operation continues for those still missing who were aboard the sunken boat that was en route to the Spanish Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic Ocean has grown into a more frequent path for African asylum seekers attempting to get to European nations.
Nearly 47,000 individuals made it to the Spanish archipelago in the year 2024 and figures suggest over 9,000 migrants perished during the journey.
Search and Rescue Efforts
Following the Wednesday incident, The Gambian Navy began a rescue mission, involving several naval vessels and a commercial fishing craft that offered help, the defence ministry confirmed.
Officials state some of the deceased are not from The Gambia and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The remains of the seven people who died have been retrieved, and 10 of those rescued are described as being in grave health and receiving urgent medical care.
A Frequent Pathway
This West African nation is a frequent corridor taken by migrants trying to reach the EU, typically through hazardous voyages across ocean and terrain.
Over the past few years, the European Union has reached agreements with multiple North African countries with the goal of reducing illegal migration.
