At least seven individuals lost their lives and a significant number are missing after a craft transporting approximately two hundred people attempting to reach the European continent sank near the shoreline of The Gambia, reports confirm.
The boat overturned in the early hours of Thursday in the vicinity of the village of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was subsequently discovered "stranded on a sandbar", the Gambian military authorities said in a statement.
Ninety-six people were pulled to safety and a search is continuing for the remaining passengers who were traveling on the capsized craft that was bound for Spain's Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African migrants trying to reach Europe.
Almost 47,000 people made it to the Canary Islands in 2024 and figures suggest over 9,000 migrants perished trying.
Rescue Operation
In the aftermath of the disaster, the navy began a search operation, using a number of military boats and a commercial fishing craft that offered help, the defense officials confirmed.
Reports indicate a number of those who died are not from The Gambia and that their details are still being checked.
The deceased of the seven individuals who perished at sea were found, and a dozen of the saved are reported to be in critical condition and receiving urgent medical care.
A Frequent Pathway
Gambia is a frequent corridor taken by migrants trying to reach European countries, often on perilous trips over water and land.
Recently, the European bloc has established pacts with multiple Maghreb states with the goal of reducing irregular migration.
