At least seven people lost their lives and a significant number remain unaccounted for in the wake of a boat carrying around 200 migrants attempting to reach European shores capsized off the coast of the Gambian coast, reports confirm.
The vessel capsized in the early hours of Thursday in the vicinity of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was afterwards located "stranded on a sandbar", the nation's defense ministry announced officially.
Ninety-six people were pulled to safety and a hunt is ongoing for other passengers who were aboard the sunken boat that was bound for Spain's Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic Ocean has emerged as a rising pathway for migrants from Africa trying to reach Europe.
Almost 47,000 people arrived at the Canaries in 2024 and figures suggest over 9,000 people perished during the journey.
Rescue Operation
In the aftermath of the disaster, Gambia's naval forces launched a search operation, deploying several naval vessels and a commercial fishing craft that joined the effort, the defence ministry said.
Officials state some of the deceased are not from The Gambia and that their identities are still being verified.
The deceased of the seven victims who drowned were found, and ten of the survivors are reported to be in critical condition and receiving urgent medical care.
A Frequent Pathway
The Gambia is a frequent corridor used by asylum seekers seeking to get to Europe, often on hazardous voyages across ocean and terrain.
Over the past few years, the European bloc has reached agreements with multiple Maghreb states designed to reducing illegal migration.
