At least seven individuals lost their lives and a significant number are lost in the wake of a craft carrying around 200 people trying to get to European shores sank off the coast of the Gambian coast, authorities say.
The boat overturned late Wednesday night close to Jinack in the northern bank region and it was afterwards located "stranded on a sandbar", the nation's defense ministry announced officially.
Nearly one hundred people have been rescued so far and a search is continuing for those still missing who were on board the sunken boat that was heading towards Spain's Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for migrants from Africa attempting to get to the EU.
Nearly 47,000 individuals made it to the Canary Islands in the year 2024 and data indicates over 9,000 migrants perished during the journey.
Search and Rescue Efforts
In the aftermath of the disaster, Gambia's naval forces began a search operation, deploying a number of military boats and a fishing vessel that joined the effort, the military said.
Reports indicate a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The deceased of the seven individuals who died have been recovered, and ten of the survivors are reported to be in grave health and getting immediate medical attention.
A Common Migration Route
The Gambia is a common pathway taken by migrants seeking to get to European countries, often on dangerous journeys across ocean and terrain.
Recently, the European bloc has reached agreements with a number of North African nations with the goal of limiting irregular migration.
