No fewer than seven individuals have perished and numerous others are missing following a boat ferrying around 200 migrants trying to get to Europe capsized near the shoreline of the Gambian coast, authorities say.
The boat overturned in the early hours of Thursday in the vicinity of Jinack in the North Bank area and it was subsequently discovered "stranded on a sandbar", the country's defence ministry said in a statement.
Nearly one hundred people were pulled to safety and a rescue operation continues for other passengers who were on board the shipwrecked vessel that was heading towards the Spanish Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African migrants seeking entry into the EU.
Nearly forty-seven thousand migrants reached the Spanish archipelago in the year 2024 and estimates over 9,000 migrants perished in the attempt.
Search and Rescue Efforts
After Wednesday's accident, Gambia's naval forces began a search operation, using a number of military boats and a fishing boat that offered help, the defence ministry confirmed.
Reports indicate a number of those who died are foreign nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The remains of the seven victims who drowned were found, and 10 of those rescued are said to be in critical condition and getting immediate medical attention.
An Established Corridor
This West African nation is one of the routes used by asylum seekers seeking to get to European countries, typically through hazardous voyages by sea and land.
Recently, the EU has established pacts with a number of North African nations with the goal of limiting undocumented migration.
