No fewer than seven people lost their lives and numerous others are missing following a craft transporting around two hundred people trying to get to European shores sank in waters near The Gambia, officials state.
The vessel capsized late Wednesday night in the vicinity of Jinack in the North Bank area and it was subsequently discovered "stranded on a sandbar", the Gambian military authorities said in a statement.
Nearly one hundred people were pulled to safety and a hunt is ongoing for other passengers who were aboard the sunken boat that was bound for the Spanish Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic Ocean has become an increasingly common route for African migrants attempting to get to European nations.
Almost forty-seven thousand migrants reached the Spanish archipelago in the year 2024 and figures suggest more than 9,000 people have lost their lives during the journey.
Rescue Operation
Following the Wednesday incident, The Gambian Navy initiated a search operation, deploying several naval vessels and a commercial fishing craft that offered help, the defence ministry reported.
Reports indicate several of the victims are not from The Gambia and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The bodies of the seven victims who perished at sea have been recovered, and ten of the survivors are reported to be in serious condition and receiving urgent medical care.
An Established Corridor
This West African nation is a common pathway utilized by migrants attempting to enter the EU, often on perilous trips across ocean and terrain.
Over the past few years, the EU has established pacts with multiple North African nations aimed at reducing undocumented migration.
