No fewer than seven individuals lost their lives and many others are lost in the wake of a vessel transporting approximately two hundred migrants attempting to reach the European continent sank near the shoreline of Gambia, authorities say.
The boat overturned on Wednesday midnight near Jinack in the northern bank region and it was afterwards located "stranded on a sandbar", the nation's defense ministry stated in a release.
Ninety-six people have been saved to date and a rescue operation continues for other passengers who were aboard the shipwrecked vessel that was heading towards the Canary Islands of Spain.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic Ocean has become an increasingly common route for migrants from Africa attempting to get to European nations.
Nearly forty-seven thousand migrants reached the Spanish archipelago in 2024 and data indicates more than 9,000 migrants have lost their lives trying.
Search and Rescue Efforts
After Wednesday's accident, The Gambian Navy launched a search operation, involving multiple navy ships and a fishing boat that offered help, the military confirmed.
Authorities say several of the victims are not Gambian nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The deceased of the seven victims who perished at sea were found, and ten of the survivors are described as being in grave health and getting immediate medical attention.
A Frequent Pathway
The Gambia is a common pathway utilized by migrants seeking to get to Europe, often on dangerous journeys over water and land.
Recently, the European Union has established pacts with several Maghreb states with the goal of reducing irregular migration.
