A minimum of seven people have perished and numerous others are missing following a vessel ferrying about two hundred migrants seeking to enter Europe overturned near the shoreline of The Gambia, authorities say.
The boat overturned late Wednesday night near Jinack village in the northern bank region and it was subsequently discovered "grounded on a sandbank", the nation's defense ministry stated in a release.
Nearly one hundred people have been saved to date and a rescue operation continues for other passengers who were traveling on the capsized craft that was en route to the Spanish Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African migrants attempting to get to European nations.
Almost 47,000 people arrived at the Canary Islands in 2024 and data indicates over 9,000 people perished during the journey.
Rescue Operation
In the aftermath of the disaster, Gambia's naval forces launched a search operation, using several naval vessels and a fishing vessel that came to assist, the military said.
Officials state a number of those who died are not from The Gambia and that their details are still being checked.
The bodies of the seven people who died have been retrieved, and 10 of those rescued are described as being in grave health and receiving urgent medical care.
An Established Corridor
This West African nation is a frequent corridor utilized by migrants attempting to enter European countries, frequently via perilous trips across ocean and terrain.
Over the past few years, the EU has established pacts with multiple North African nations with the goal of reducing undocumented migration.
