At least seven souls lost their lives and many others are missing after a craft ferrying around two hundred people attempting to reach European shores sank off the coast of Gambia, officials state.
The boat overturned on Wednesday midnight in the vicinity of the village of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was subsequently discovered "stranded on a sandbar", the nation's defense ministry said in a statement.
Nearly one hundred people have been saved to date and a search is continuing for the remaining passengers who were aboard the sunken boat that was bound for the Canary Islands of Spain.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African migrants trying to reach European nations.
Nearly 47,000 people arrived at the Canary Islands in 2024 and estimates over 9,000 people have died trying.
Search and Rescue Efforts
Following the Wednesday incident, the navy began a rescue mission, involving a number of military boats and a fishing boat that joined the effort, the military confirmed.
Reports indicate a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The bodies of the seven victims who drowned have been recovered, and 10 of those rescued are reported to be in critical condition and getting immediate medical attention.
A Frequent Pathway
The Gambia is a common pathway used by migrants seeking to get to European countries, often on dangerous journeys across ocean and terrain.
Over the past few years, the European bloc has established pacts with multiple North African nations with the goal of reducing irregular migration.
