A minimum of seven individuals lost their lives and many others remain unaccounted for following a vessel transporting about 200 people attempting to reach the European continent overturned off the coast of The Gambia, officials state.
The boat overturned on Wednesday midnight near Jinack village in the northern bank region and it was subsequently discovered "beached on a shoal", the Gambian military authorities stated in a release.
96 individuals have been rescued so far and a rescue operation continues for other passengers who were traveling on the sunken boat that was bound for the Canary Islands of Spain.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic Ocean has grown into a more frequent path for African asylum seekers trying to reach the EU.
Nearly forty-seven thousand migrants arrived at the Canary Islands in the year 2024 and figures suggest in excess of 9,000 migrants have lost their lives during the journey.
Search and Rescue Efforts
After Wednesday's accident, the navy launched a rescue mission, using multiple navy ships and a fishing vessel that offered help, the defense officials confirmed.
Authorities say a number of those who died are foreign nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The remains of the seven people who died have been retrieved, and 10 of those rescued are described as being in critical condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
An Established Corridor
Gambia is one of the routes used by migrants trying to reach the EU, typically through dangerous journeys across ocean and terrain.
Over the past few years, the European Union has reached agreements with a number of North African countries designed to curtailing undocumented migration.
