At least seven souls lost their lives and a significant number are missing following a boat carrying about 200 migrants trying to get to the European continent capsized in waters near the Gambian coast, reports confirm.
The boat overturned late Wednesday night close to Jinack village in the North Bank area and it was afterwards located "stranded on a sandbar", the country's defence ministry stated in a release.
Ninety-six people have been rescued so far and a hunt is ongoing for the remaining passengers who were aboard the shipwrecked vessel that was en route to Spain's Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African migrants attempting to get to Europe.
Close to forty-seven thousand migrants reached the Spanish archipelago in the year 2024 and estimates in excess of nine thousand individuals perished during the journey.
Search and Rescue Efforts
After Wednesday's accident, The Gambian Navy began a search operation, involving a number of military boats and a commercial fishing craft that joined the effort, the military reported.
Reports indicate some of the deceased are not Gambian nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The deceased of the seven victims who died have been recovered, and 10 of those rescued are reported to be in serious condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
An Established Corridor
Gambia is a frequent corridor taken by migrants trying to reach the EU, frequently via hazardous voyages over water and land.
Recently, the European Union has reached agreements with multiple Maghreb states designed to curtailing irregular migration.
