No fewer than seven people lost their lives and many others are missing in the wake of a vessel transporting about two hundred migrants trying to get to European shores sank off the coast of the Gambian coast, authorities say.
The craft flipped in the early hours of Thursday close to Jinack in the North Bank area and it was subsequently discovered "stranded on a sandbar", the nation's defense ministry said in a statement.
Ninety-six people have been saved to date and a search is continuing for other passengers who were aboard the sunken boat that was en route to Spain's Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for migrants from Africa trying to reach the EU.
Nearly forty-seven thousand migrants made it to the Canaries in 2024 and figures suggest over 9,000 people have lost their lives trying.
Rescue Operation
In the aftermath of the disaster, The Gambian Navy initiated a rescue mission, using multiple navy ships and a fishing boat that joined the effort, the defence ministry reported.
Reports indicate several of the victims are foreign nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The deceased of the seven individuals who drowned have been retrieved, and a dozen of the saved are reported to be in serious condition and getting immediate medical attention.
An Established Corridor
Gambia is one of the routes utilized by asylum seekers seeking to get to European countries, often on hazardous voyages by sea and land.
Recently, the EU has forged deals with several North African nations aimed at curtailing illegal migration.
