No fewer than seven individuals have died and a significant number are lost following a boat transporting around two hundred migrants attempting to reach European shores capsized in waters near the Gambian coast, authorities say.
The boat overturned on Wednesday midnight in the vicinity of Jinack village in the North Bank area 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 capsized craft that was heading towards the Canary Islands of Spain.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African asylum seekers seeking entry into European nations.
Nearly 47,000 individuals made it to the Canaries in 2024 and data indicates more than nine thousand individuals have lost their lives in the attempt.
Search and Rescue Efforts
In the aftermath of the disaster, The Gambian Navy launched a search-and-rescue operation, deploying a number of military boats and a fishing boat that offered help, the military reported.
Reports indicate some of the deceased are not Gambian nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The remains of the seven victims who drowned have been recovered, and ten of the survivors are said to be in serious condition and getting immediate medical attention.
A Common Migration Route
The Gambia is one of the routes utilized by migrants seeking to get to the EU, typically through dangerous journeys by sea and land.
In recent years, the European Union has forged deals with several North African nations with the goal of curtailing undocumented migration.
