No fewer than seven souls lost their lives and a significant number are lost following a vessel ferrying around 200 migrants attempting to reach the European continent overturned off the coast of Gambia, authorities say.
The boat overturned on Wednesday midnight in the vicinity of Jinack in the North Bank area and it was afterwards located "stranded on a sandbar", the nation's defense ministry said in a statement.
Nearly one hundred people have been rescued so far and a hunt is ongoing for other passengers who were on board the sunken boat that was en route to the Spanish Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic Ocean has emerged as a rising pathway for migrants from Africa trying to reach European nations.
Nearly 47,000 individuals arrived at the Canary Islands in 2024 and data indicates over 9,000 people perished in the attempt.
Search and Rescue Efforts
Following the Wednesday incident, The Gambian Navy initiated a search operation, deploying a number of military boats and a commercial fishing craft that offered help, the military said.
Reports indicate some of the deceased are not from The Gambia and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The bodies of the seven people who perished at sea were found, and a dozen of the saved are reported to be in critical condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Frequent Pathway
The Gambia is a frequent corridor taken by migrants seeking to get to the EU, typically through hazardous voyages over water and land.
In recent years, the European bloc has established pacts with several North African countries aimed at limiting undocumented migration.
