A minimum of seven people lost their lives and many others remain unaccounted for in the wake of a boat ferrying about 200 migrants trying to get to European shores overturned off the coast of The Gambia, reports confirm.
The craft flipped in the early hours of Thursday close to Jinack village in the northern bank region and it was afterwards located "beached on a shoal", the Gambian military authorities said in a statement.
Ninety-six people have been saved to date and a rescue operation continues for the remaining passengers who were on board the shipwrecked vessel that was en route to the Canary Islands of Spain.
The perilous journey over the the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for migrants from Africa trying to reach the EU.
Nearly 47,000 people made it to the Spanish archipelago in 2024 and estimates more than nine thousand individuals have died in the attempt.
Search and Rescue Efforts
Following the Wednesday incident, the navy began a rescue mission, deploying multiple navy ships and a fishing boat that joined the effort, the defense officials said.
Authorities say some of the deceased are foreign nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The remains of the seven individuals who drowned have been retrieved, and a dozen of the saved are described as being in critical condition and getting immediate medical attention.
A Frequent Pathway
This West African nation is a frequent corridor used by migrants seeking to get to European countries, frequently via dangerous journeys over water and land.
Recently, the European bloc has reached agreements with multiple Maghreb states designed to limiting illegal migration.
