At least seven individuals have died and numerous others remain unaccounted for following a boat transporting around two hundred people seeking to enter European shores sank off the coast of the Gambian coast, reports confirm.
The craft flipped on Wednesday midnight near Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was subsequently discovered "grounded on a sandbank", the nation's defense ministry announced officially.
Nearly one hundred people have been saved to date and a rescue operation continues for those still missing who were traveling on the sunken boat that was en route to Spain's Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African migrants attempting to get to Europe.
Nearly 47,000 people made it to the Canary Islands in 2024 and data indicates more than 9,000 people perished trying.
Search and Rescue Efforts
In the aftermath of the disaster, the navy began a rescue mission, using several naval vessels and a commercial fishing craft that offered help, the defence ministry said.
Officials state several of the victims are not from The Gambia and that their identities are still being verified.
The deceased of the seven individuals who died have been retrieved, and 10 of those rescued are reported to be in serious condition and getting immediate medical attention.
An Established Corridor
Gambia is one of the routes used by migrants attempting to enter Europe, often on perilous trips across ocean and terrain.
Over the past few years, the European bloc has reached agreements with a number of North African countries with the goal of limiting undocumented migration.
