At least seven individuals have perished and a significant number are missing following a boat carrying about two hundred migrants trying to get to Europe overturned near the shoreline of Gambia, authorities say.
The vessel capsized late Wednesday night in the vicinity of Jinack village in the North Bank area and it was subsequently discovered "stranded on a sandbar", the Gambian military authorities said in a statement.
96 individuals have been rescued so far and a hunt is ongoing for those still missing who were on board the shipwrecked vessel that was en route to the Canary Islands of Spain.
The dangerous voyage over the the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for migrants from Africa seeking entry into the EU.
Nearly 47,000 individuals made it to the Spanish archipelago in the year 2024 and data indicates more than 9,000 people have lost their lives during the journey.
Search and Rescue Efforts
Following the Wednesday incident, Gambia's naval forces launched a search-and-rescue operation, using several naval vessels and a commercial fishing craft that came to assist, the defense officials said.
Reports indicate a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The deceased of the seven people who perished at sea were found, and ten of the survivors are said to be in grave health and undergoing emergency treatment.
An Established Corridor
The Gambia is one of the routes used by migrants trying to reach the EU, typically through hazardous voyages over water and land.
In recent years, the European Union has established pacts with several North African nations designed to curtailing undocumented migration.
