No fewer than seven individuals have perished and numerous others remain unaccounted for in the wake of a craft carrying around 200 people trying to get to Europe overturned in waters near Gambia, authorities say.
The boat overturned in the early hours of Thursday near Jinack village in the North Bank Region and it was afterwards located "grounded on a sandbank", the Gambian military authorities stated in a release.
Nearly one hundred people were pulled to safety and a search is continuing for those still missing who were aboard the capsized craft that was bound for the Spanish Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic Ocean has emerged as a rising pathway for African migrants seeking entry into Europe.
Nearly forty-seven thousand migrants reached the Spanish archipelago in 2024 and figures suggest over 9,000 people have lost their lives in the attempt.
Search and Rescue Efforts
Following the Wednesday incident, Gambia's naval forces launched a search operation, using several naval vessels and a fishing vessel that came to assist, the military said.
Authorities say several of the victims are not from The Gambia and that their details are still being checked.
The deceased of the seven individuals who perished at sea have been retrieved, and ten of the survivors are described as being in serious condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Common Migration Route
Gambia is one of the routes utilized by migrants seeking to get to the EU, frequently via hazardous voyages over water and land.
In recent years, the European bloc has reached agreements with multiple North African nations with the goal of reducing illegal migration.
