A minimum of seven individuals have perished and a significant number are lost following a boat transporting about two hundred migrants trying to get to European shores overturned off the coast of the Gambian coast, reports confirm.
The boat overturned late Wednesday night in the vicinity of Jinack village in the northern bank region and it was afterwards located "beached on a shoal", the country's defence ministry stated in a release.
Nearly one hundred people have been rescued so far and a rescue operation continues for those still missing who were on board the sunken boat that was heading towards the Spanish Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African asylum seekers attempting to get to Europe.
Almost forty-seven thousand migrants arrived at the Spanish archipelago in 2024 and estimates over 9,000 migrants perished trying.
Ongoing Mission
After Wednesday's accident, Gambia's naval forces initiated a search operation, deploying a number of military boats and a fishing vessel that came to assist, the military said.
Authorities say a number of those who died are foreign nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The deceased of the seven victims who drowned have been recovered, and ten of the survivors are described as being in critical condition and getting immediate medical attention.
A Frequent Pathway
This West African nation is a common pathway utilized by migrants attempting to enter European countries, often on dangerous journeys over water and land.
In recent years, the EU has reached agreements with several Maghreb states designed to curtailing illegal migration.
