No fewer than seven people lost their lives and a significant number remain unaccounted for following a vessel transporting about two hundred migrants attempting to reach European shores overturned off the coast of the Gambian coast, reports confirm.
The craft flipped in the early hours of Thursday near the village of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was later found "stranded on a sandbar", the nation's defense ministry said in a statement.
Ninety-six people have been saved to date and a search is continuing for the remaining passengers who were aboard the sunken boat that was bound for the Spanish Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African migrants attempting to get to Europe.
Close to forty-seven thousand migrants arrived at the Spanish archipelago in 2024 and figures suggest more than nine thousand individuals have died during the journey.
Rescue Operation
In the aftermath of the disaster, The Gambian Navy initiated a search-and-rescue operation, deploying multiple navy ships and a fishing boat that offered help, the defence ministry confirmed.
Reports indicate some of the deceased are foreign nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The remains of the seven people who perished at sea were found, and ten of the survivors are said to be in critical condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
An Established Corridor
The Gambia is a common pathway used by migrants seeking to get to European countries, typically through hazardous voyages over water and land.
In recent years, the EU has reached agreements with a number of Maghreb states aimed at curtailing illegal migration.
