No fewer than seven individuals have died and many others remain unaccounted for after a craft ferrying approximately 200 people attempting to reach European shores overturned near the shoreline of The Gambia, authorities say.
The boat overturned late Wednesday night near Jinack village in the North Bank Region and it was subsequently discovered "stranded on a sandbar", the country's defence ministry stated in a release.
96 individuals have been saved to date and a hunt is ongoing for those still missing who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was en route to the Canary Islands of Spain.
The hazardous trip over the the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African migrants attempting to get to Europe.
Close to 47,000 individuals made it to the Canary Islands in the year 2024 and data indicates over nine thousand individuals have died trying.
Rescue Operation
In the aftermath of the disaster, Gambia's naval forces launched a search-and-rescue operation, deploying several naval vessels and a fishing vessel that offered help, the defence ministry reported.
Reports indicate a number of those who died are not from The Gambia and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The bodies of the seven people who died were found, and 10 of those rescued are described as being in serious condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Frequent Pathway
The Gambia is one of the routes taken by migrants attempting to enter Europe, often on dangerous journeys across ocean and terrain.
In recent years, the EU has forged deals with several Maghreb states with the goal of curtailing undocumented migration.
