No fewer than seven people have perished and a significant number are lost in the wake of a boat transporting approximately 200 migrants attempting to reach European shores overturned in waters near Gambia, authorities say.
The craft flipped in the early hours of Thursday close to the village of Jinack in the North Bank area and it was afterwards located "beached on a shoal", the nation's defense ministry said in a statement.
Nearly one hundred people were pulled to safety and a rescue operation continues for those still missing who were on board the shipwrecked vessel that was bound for the Spanish Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African asylum seekers trying to reach Europe.
Nearly forty-seven thousand migrants reached the Canary Islands in 2024 and data indicates over 9,000 migrants have lost their lives trying.
Search and Rescue Efforts
Following the Wednesday incident, Gambia's naval forces launched a search operation, involving 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 nationalities are still under confirmation.
The deceased of the seven victims who perished at sea have been recovered, and 10 of those rescued are said to be in grave health and getting immediate medical attention.
A Frequent Pathway
The Gambia is a frequent corridor used by migrants attempting to enter European countries, often on dangerous journeys across ocean and terrain.
In recent years, the European bloc has forged deals with multiple North African nations with the goal of curtailing undocumented migration.
