A minimum of seven souls have died and a significant number are missing following a vessel carrying around 200 migrants seeking to enter European shores overturned off the coast of Gambia, authorities say.
The vessel capsized on Wednesday midnight close to Jinack village in the northern bank region and it was afterwards located "grounded on a sandbank", the country's defence ministry said in a statement.
Nearly one hundred people have been rescued so far and a rescue operation continues for other passengers who were traveling on the sunken boat that was en route to the Spanish Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for migrants from Africa trying to reach Europe.
Almost forty-seven thousand migrants arrived at the Canaries in 2024 and estimates in excess of 9,000 migrants have lost their lives during the journey.
Ongoing Mission
In the aftermath of the disaster, the navy initiated a search operation, using multiple navy ships and a commercial fishing craft that came to assist, the defence ministry reported.
Reports indicate a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The remains of the seven individuals who drowned have been recovered, and 10 of those rescued are reported to be in serious condition and receiving urgent medical care.
A Frequent Pathway
This West African nation is a common pathway used by migrants trying to reach the EU, often on perilous trips by sea and land.
Over the past few years, the European bloc has forged deals with multiple North African countries with the goal of reducing illegal migration.
