No fewer than seven people lost their lives and numerous others remain unaccounted for following a craft transporting around two hundred migrants trying to get to Europe overturned off the coast of Gambia, reports confirm.
The vessel capsized in the early hours of Thursday close to Jinack village in the North Bank area and it was subsequently discovered "grounded on a sandbank", the country's defence ministry said in a statement.
Ninety-six people have been saved to date and a hunt is ongoing for other passengers who were traveling on the sunken boat that was bound for Spain's Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African migrants attempting to get to Europe.
Close to 47,000 people made it to the Canaries in 2024 and data indicates over 9,000 migrants have died trying.
Search and Rescue Efforts
In the aftermath of the disaster, Gambia's naval forces initiated a search-and-rescue operation, involving multiple navy ships and a fishing boat that joined the effort, the military reported.
Reports indicate several of the victims are not Gambian nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The remains of the seven individuals who drowned have been recovered, and a dozen of the saved are reported to be in critical condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Common Migration Route
This West African nation is a common pathway taken by migrants seeking to get to the EU, often on perilous trips by sea and land.
In recent years, the European bloc has forged deals with multiple North African nations aimed at reducing illegal migration.
