At least seven individuals have died and a significant number remain unaccounted for in the wake of a vessel ferrying about two hundred migrants trying to get to the European continent overturned near the shoreline of the Gambian coast, authorities say.
The boat overturned on Wednesday midnight in the vicinity of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was later found "beached on a shoal", the Gambian military authorities said in a statement.
Ninety-six people have been saved to date and a search is continuing for those still missing who were traveling on the capsized craft that was en route to the Spanish Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African asylum seekers seeking entry into European nations.
Almost 47,000 people arrived at the Spanish archipelago in 2024 and estimates in excess of nine thousand individuals have lost their lives in the attempt.
Rescue Operation
Following the Wednesday incident, The Gambian Navy initiated a rescue mission, involving multiple navy ships and a fishing boat that offered help, the defense officials said.
Officials state a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The deceased of the seven victims who died have been retrieved, and 10 of those rescued are reported to be in grave health and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Common Migration Route
The Gambia is one of the routes used by migrants trying to reach European countries, often on hazardous voyages by sea and land.
In recent years, the European bloc has forged deals with a number of Maghreb states with the goal of curtailing irregular migration.
