No fewer than seven people have perished and many others are missing in the wake of a craft transporting around 200 migrants attempting to reach European shores overturned off the coast of the Gambian coast, reports confirm.
The boat overturned on Wednesday midnight close to Jinack in the northern bank region and it was subsequently discovered "grounded on a sandbank", the nation's defense ministry said in a statement.
96 individuals have been rescued so far and a rescue operation continues for those still missing who were on board the sunken boat that was bound for the Canary Islands of Spain.
The dangerous voyage over the the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for migrants from Africa attempting to get to Europe.
Close to forty-seven thousand migrants made it to the Spanish archipelago in 2024 and figures suggest in excess of 9,000 people perished trying.
Rescue Operation
Following the Wednesday incident, The Gambian Navy initiated a rescue mission, deploying multiple navy ships and a commercial fishing craft that joined the effort, the military confirmed.
Authorities say some of the deceased are not Gambian nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The deceased of the seven individuals who died have been recovered, and ten of the survivors are described as being in serious condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Frequent Pathway
Gambia is one of the routes used by asylum seekers seeking to get to the EU, typically through hazardous voyages by sea and land.
In recent years, the European bloc has reached agreements with several Maghreb states designed to reducing irregular migration.
