At least seven individuals have perished and many others remain unaccounted for following a vessel ferrying around two hundred migrants attempting to reach Europe sank off the coast of Gambia, authorities say.
The boat overturned in the early hours of Thursday close to Jinack in the North Bank area and it was subsequently discovered "beached on a shoal", the country's defence ministry stated in a release.
Ninety-six people have been saved to date and a hunt is ongoing for the remaining passengers who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was en route to the Spanish Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African asylum seekers seeking entry into the EU.
Almost 47,000 individuals made it to the Canaries in 2024 and estimates more than nine thousand individuals have lost their lives trying.
Ongoing Mission
After Wednesday's accident, The Gambian Navy began a search operation, deploying a number of military boats and a commercial fishing craft that offered help, the defence ministry 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 10 of those rescued are said to be in grave health and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Common Migration Route
The Gambia is a common pathway used by migrants attempting to enter Europe, often on hazardous voyages over water and land.
In recent years, the European bloc has reached agreements with multiple North African nations designed to curtailing undocumented migration.
