No fewer than seven individuals have perished and numerous others are missing after a vessel ferrying about two hundred people attempting to reach Europe overturned in waters near The Gambia, officials state.
The boat overturned late Wednesday night near Jinack village in the northern bank region and it was later found "grounded on a sandbank", the nation's defense ministry announced officially.
96 individuals have been rescued so far and a rescue operation continues for those still missing who were on board the shipwrecked vessel that was en route to the Spanish Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African migrants trying to reach European nations.
Nearly 47,000 individuals reached the Canaries in 2024 and figures suggest more than 9,000 people have lost their lives trying.
Search and Rescue Efforts
In the aftermath of the disaster, Gambia's naval forces began a search-and-rescue operation, involving multiple navy ships and a fishing boat that joined the effort, the defence ministry confirmed.
Officials state several of the victims are not Gambian nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The remains of the seven people who died have been recovered, and 10 of those rescued are said to be in serious condition and getting immediate medical attention.
An Established Corridor
The Gambia is one of the routes used by migrants seeking to get to the EU, typically through perilous trips by sea and land.
Over the past few years, the EU has forged deals with several Maghreb states designed to curtailing undocumented migration.
