No fewer than seven individuals have died and many others remain unaccounted for in the wake of a craft ferrying around 200 migrants attempting to reach the European continent overturned off the coast of The Gambia, authorities say.
The boat overturned late Wednesday night close to Jinack village in the North Bank Region and it was later found "grounded on a sandbank", the country's defence ministry announced officially.
Nearly one hundred people have been rescued so far and a hunt is ongoing for those still missing who were aboard the shipwrecked vessel that was heading towards the Spanish Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for migrants from Africa attempting to get to the EU.
Close to forty-seven thousand migrants arrived at the Canaries in the year 2024 and data indicates in excess of nine thousand individuals perished in the attempt.
Rescue Operation
In the aftermath of the disaster, the navy began a rescue mission, using multiple navy ships and a fishing boat that joined the effort, the defence ministry said.
Authorities say several of the victims are not Gambian nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The remains of the seven victims who drowned have been retrieved, and a dozen of the saved are said to be in grave health and getting immediate medical attention.
A Frequent Pathway
The Gambia is one of the routes used by migrants trying to reach Europe, frequently via dangerous journeys over water and land.
Recently, the European Union has forged deals with a number of North African countries with the goal of curtailing undocumented migration.
