A minimum of seven people have perished and many others are missing following a boat carrying about 200 migrants seeking to enter the European continent capsized near the shoreline of Gambia, authorities say.
The boat overturned on Wednesday midnight near Jinack in the North Bank area and it was later found "stranded on a sandbar", the country's defence ministry stated in a release.
Nearly one hundred people were pulled to safety and a rescue operation continues for other passengers who were traveling on the sunken boat that was heading towards the Canary Islands of Spain.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic Ocean has become an increasingly common route for African migrants attempting to get to Europe.
Almost 47,000 people made it to the Canaries in the year 2024 and figures suggest in excess of 9,000 migrants have lost their lives trying.
Search and Rescue Efforts
Following the Wednesday incident, the navy began a search-and-rescue operation, using multiple navy ships and a fishing vessel that offered help, the defense officials reported.
Officials state some of the deceased are foreign nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The remains of the seven individuals who died were found, and 10 of those rescued are reported to be in critical condition and receiving urgent medical care.
A Frequent Pathway
The Gambia is one of the routes utilized by asylum seekers seeking to get to the EU, typically through perilous trips over water and land.
Over the past few years, the European bloc has forged deals with several Maghreb states with the goal of limiting irregular migration.
