At least seven individuals lost their lives and many others are lost after a boat transporting about two hundred people trying to get to the European continent sank near the shoreline of The Gambia, authorities say.
The boat overturned on Wednesday midnight near Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was afterwards located "grounded on a sandbank", the nation's defense ministry said in a statement.
Nearly one hundred people were pulled to safety and a search is continuing for those still missing who were aboard the capsized craft that was heading towards Spain's Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic Ocean has become an increasingly common route for African asylum seekers trying to reach European nations.
Nearly 47,000 individuals reached the Canary Islands in the year 2024 and data indicates more than 9,000 people have died in the attempt.
Search and Rescue Efforts
Following the Wednesday incident, The Gambian Navy initiated a rescue mission, deploying a number of military boats and a commercial fishing craft that offered help, the defence ministry said.
Reports indicate a number of those who died are not from The Gambia and that their details are still being checked.
The bodies of the seven people who died have been recovered, and ten of the survivors are described as being in serious condition and receiving urgent medical care.
A Frequent Pathway
This West African nation is a common pathway utilized by asylum seekers trying to reach Europe, often on hazardous voyages over water and land.
In recent years, the European bloc has established pacts with several North African nations designed to curtailing irregular migration.
