No fewer than seven people lost their lives and numerous others are missing following a boat ferrying approximately two hundred people trying to get to European shores sank in waters near the Gambian coast, officials state.
The boat overturned late Wednesday night near Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was later found "beached on a shoal", the Gambian military authorities said in a statement.
Nearly one hundred people have been saved to date and a rescue operation continues for other passengers who were aboard the sunken boat that was en route to the Canary Islands of Spain.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic Ocean has emerged as a rising pathway for migrants from Africa attempting to get to Europe.
Close to 47,000 people reached the Canary Islands in 2024 and estimates over 9,000 migrants have lost their lives in the attempt.
Search and Rescue Efforts
After Wednesday's accident, Gambia's naval forces began a rescue mission, using several naval vessels and a fishing vessel that joined the effort, the defence ministry reported.
Reports indicate a number of those who died are foreign nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The deceased of the seven victims who perished at sea have been recovered, and 10 of those rescued are said to be in grave health and getting immediate medical attention.
An Established Corridor
Gambia is a common pathway taken by asylum seekers seeking to get to European countries, often on hazardous voyages by sea and land.
In recent years, the European Union has established pacts with a number of North African countries designed to limiting undocumented migration.
