A minimum of seven individuals have perished and many others are missing following a boat ferrying around 200 migrants seeking to enter Europe overturned off the coast of The Gambia, officials state.
The boat overturned late Wednesday night in the vicinity of the village of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was afterwards located "stranded on a sandbar", the country's defence ministry stated in a release.
96 individuals have been rescued so far and a rescue operation continues for other passengers who were traveling on the capsized craft that was heading towards the Spanish Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic Ocean has grown into a more frequent path for migrants from Africa seeking entry into European nations.
Almost forty-seven thousand migrants reached the Canary Islands in 2024 and data indicates more than 9,000 people perished during the journey.
Rescue Operation
Following the Wednesday incident, Gambia's naval forces began a search operation, using a number of military boats and a commercial fishing craft that came to assist, the defense officials reported.
Reports indicate several of the victims are foreign nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The remains of the seven individuals who died have been recovered, and ten of the survivors are said to be in critical condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Common Migration Route
Gambia is a frequent corridor utilized by migrants trying to reach the EU, typically through hazardous voyages across ocean and terrain.
In recent years, the European Union has reached agreements with several North African nations aimed at limiting undocumented migration.
