At least seven individuals have perished and a significant number are missing following a boat transporting approximately two hundred migrants trying to get to the European continent sank off the coast of the Gambian coast, officials state.
The vessel capsized in the early hours of Thursday near the village of Jinack in the North Bank area and it was subsequently discovered "grounded on a sandbank", the nation's defense ministry said in a statement.
Ninety-six people were pulled to safety and a rescue operation continues for other passengers who were aboard the sunken boat that was en route to Spain's Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic Ocean has become an increasingly common route for migrants from Africa trying to reach European nations.
Almost 47,000 people made it to the Canaries in the year 2024 and estimates more than nine thousand individuals perished during the journey.
Ongoing Mission
In the aftermath of the disaster, The Gambian Navy began a search operation, involving a number of military boats and a commercial fishing craft that offered help, the military confirmed.
Officials state a number of those who died are not from The Gambia and that their details are still being checked.
The remains of the seven individuals who perished at sea were found, and a dozen of the saved are said to be in serious condition and receiving urgent medical care.
An Established Corridor
The Gambia is one of the routes utilized by asylum seekers seeking to get to Europe, often on dangerous journeys over water and land.
In recent years, the European Union has established pacts with several North African nations with the goal of curtailing undocumented migration.
