A minimum of seven souls have died and a significant number remain unaccounted for following a boat transporting about 200 migrants seeking to enter Europe sank off the coast of Gambia, reports confirm.
The boat overturned late Wednesday night in the vicinity of the village of Jinack in the North Bank area and it was afterwards located "stranded on a sandbar", the country's defence ministry announced officially.
Ninety-six people have been saved to date and a rescue operation continues for the remaining passengers who were traveling on the capsized craft that was en route to the Spanish Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for migrants from Africa trying to reach European nations.
Nearly 47,000 people reached the Canaries in 2024 and figures suggest more than 9,000 migrants have lost their lives during the journey.
Rescue Operation
Following the Wednesday incident, the navy began a search operation, using several naval vessels and a fishing vessel that came to assist, the military confirmed.
Officials state some of the deceased are foreign nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The deceased of the seven people who drowned have been recovered, and a dozen of the saved are said to be in grave health and getting immediate medical attention.
A Frequent Pathway
This West African nation is a frequent corridor taken by asylum seekers attempting to enter European countries, typically through hazardous voyages across ocean and terrain.
Over the past few years, the EU has forged deals with multiple Maghreb states aimed at limiting irregular migration.
