At least seven people have died and many others remain unaccounted for in the wake of a vessel transporting around two hundred migrants seeking to enter the European continent overturned off the coast of Gambia, officials state.
The boat overturned on Wednesday midnight close to Jinack village in the North Bank area and it was afterwards located "grounded on a sandbank", the nation's defense ministry announced officially.
96 individuals have been saved to date and a search is continuing for those still missing who were aboard the shipwrecked vessel that was en route to the Canary Islands of Spain.
The dangerous voyage over the the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African asylum seekers seeking entry into European nations.
Nearly 47,000 people made it to the Canaries in 2024 and figures suggest in excess of 9,000 migrants perished in the attempt.
Rescue Operation
After Wednesday's accident, The Gambian Navy initiated a search-and-rescue operation, using several naval vessels and a fishing vessel that came to assist, the defense officials said.
Authorities say some of the deceased are foreign nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The bodies of the seven victims who perished at sea were found, and a dozen of the saved are described as being in serious condition and getting immediate medical attention.
A Common Migration Route
Gambia is one of the routes utilized by asylum seekers seeking to get to Europe, often on perilous trips by sea and land.
Over the past few years, the European Union has forged deals with multiple North African nations aimed at curtailing irregular migration.
