No fewer than seven individuals have perished and numerous others remain unaccounted for following a boat carrying around two hundred people trying to get to European shores sank near the shoreline of the Gambian coast, authorities say.
The boat overturned in the early hours of Thursday close to Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was afterwards located "beached on a shoal", the Gambian military authorities stated in a release.
Ninety-six people have been saved to date and a search is continuing for those still missing who were on board the capsized craft that was en route to the Canary Islands of Spain.
The hazardous trip over the the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for migrants from Africa trying to reach European nations.
Nearly forty-seven thousand migrants made it to the Canaries in 2024 and estimates over 9,000 people have died during the journey.
Rescue Operation
After Wednesday's accident, the navy launched a search-and-rescue operation, deploying a number of military boats and a commercial fishing craft that came to assist, the defense officials reported.
Reports indicate some of the deceased are foreign nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The deceased of the seven individuals who drowned were found, and 10 of those rescued are reported to be in critical condition and getting immediate medical attention.
A Common Migration Route
This West African nation is a frequent corridor utilized by asylum seekers trying to reach the EU, frequently via perilous trips by sea and land.
In recent years, the European Union has established pacts with a number of Maghreb states aimed at reducing undocumented migration.
