At least seven souls have died and a significant number remain unaccounted for following a boat carrying about two hundred people trying to get to the European continent capsized in waters near the Gambian coast, reports confirm.
The craft flipped late Wednesday night near Jinack in the North Bank area and it was subsequently discovered "stranded on a sandbar", the nation's defense ministry announced officially.
Nearly one hundred people were pulled to safety and a rescue operation continues for those still missing who were on board the sunken boat that was heading towards the Canary Islands of Spain.
The dangerous voyage over the the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for migrants from Africa attempting to get to the EU.
Almost 47,000 individuals reached the Canary Islands in 2024 and estimates over 9,000 migrants have lost their lives in the attempt.
Rescue Operation
Following the Wednesday incident, the navy initiated a search operation, deploying a number of military boats and a fishing boat that joined the effort, the military reported.
Officials state a number of those who died are foreign nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The bodies of the seven individuals who died have been retrieved, and 10 of those rescued are reported to be in critical condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Frequent Pathway
The Gambia is one of the routes utilized by migrants seeking to get to Europe, often on hazardous voyages by sea and land.
Over the past few years, the EU has established pacts with a number of Maghreb states aimed at curtailing irregular migration.
