No fewer than seven individuals lost their lives and a significant number are missing after a boat ferrying approximately two hundred migrants attempting to reach Europe overturned off the coast of the Gambian coast, reports confirm.
The vessel capsized on Wednesday midnight near the village of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was later found "grounded on a sandbank", the Gambian military authorities stated in a release.
Ninety-six people have been saved to date and a hunt is ongoing for the remaining passengers who were aboard the capsized craft that was en route to the Canary Islands of Spain.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for migrants from Africa attempting to get to Europe.
Nearly forty-seven thousand migrants made it to the Canaries in 2024 and data indicates in excess of 9,000 migrants perished trying.
Rescue Operation
After Wednesday's accident, the navy began a search operation, deploying a number of military boats and a fishing boat that joined the effort, the defence ministry said.
Officials state several of the victims are foreign 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 described as being in serious condition and receiving urgent medical care.
An Established Corridor
This West African nation is a common pathway utilized by asylum seekers seeking to get to Europe, typically through dangerous journeys over water and land.
Recently, the EU has reached agreements with multiple North African nations with the goal of reducing irregular migration.
