No fewer than seven individuals have died and many others are lost after a craft ferrying approximately 200 migrants attempting to reach Europe sank off the coast of Gambia, reports confirm.
The boat overturned late Wednesday night close to Jinack village in the North Bank Region and it was afterwards located "beached on a shoal", the country's defence ministry stated in a release.
96 individuals have been saved to date and a search is continuing for the remaining passengers who were traveling on the sunken boat that was heading towards the Spanish Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic Ocean has emerged as a rising pathway for African migrants seeking entry into Europe.
Almost 47,000 people reached the Canary Islands in 2024 and data indicates more than 9,000 migrants have lost their lives in the attempt.
Ongoing Mission
In the aftermath of the disaster, the navy initiated a search operation, deploying several naval vessels and a fishing boat that joined the effort, the defense officials confirmed.
Authorities say a number of those who died are not from The Gambia and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The bodies of the seven people who perished at sea have been recovered, and a dozen of the saved are described as being in grave health and undergoing emergency treatment.
An Established Corridor
The Gambia is a common pathway used by migrants attempting to enter European countries, frequently via perilous trips by sea and land.
Over the past few years, the European bloc has established pacts with several Maghreb states with the goal of limiting undocumented migration.
