At least seven people have died and a significant number are missing following a craft transporting approximately 200 migrants trying to get to the European continent capsized near the shoreline of Gambia, officials state.
The boat overturned in the early hours of Thursday near the village of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was subsequently discovered "stranded on a sandbar", the nation's defense ministry stated in a release.
Nearly one hundred people have been saved to date and a hunt is ongoing for the remaining passengers who were aboard the shipwrecked vessel that was heading towards Spain's Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African migrants attempting to get to European nations.
Nearly 47,000 individuals reached the Canaries in 2024 and estimates over 9,000 migrants have lost their lives trying.
Ongoing Mission
In the aftermath of the disaster, the navy began a rescue mission, using multiple navy ships and a fishing vessel that joined the effort, the military reported.
Authorities say a number of those who died are not from The Gambia and that their identities are still being verified.
The bodies of the seven people who perished at sea have been retrieved, and a dozen of the saved are described as being in grave health and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Frequent Pathway
Gambia is a common pathway used by asylum seekers attempting to enter Europe, typically through hazardous voyages over water and land.
In recent years, the European bloc has reached agreements with multiple Maghreb states with the goal of limiting illegal migration.
