No fewer than seven individuals lost their lives and many others are lost after a vessel ferrying about 200 migrants trying to get to European shores sank in waters near the Gambian coast, authorities say.
The boat overturned late Wednesday night close to the village of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was later found "stranded on a sandbar", the Gambian military authorities announced officially.
Ninety-six people were pulled to safety and a search is continuing for other passengers who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was heading towards the Spanish Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African asylum seekers attempting to get to European nations.
Almost 47,000 individuals arrived at the Spanish archipelago in 2024 and estimates more than nine thousand individuals have died during the journey.
Ongoing Mission
After Wednesday's accident, Gambia's naval forces launched a search operation, using several naval vessels and a commercial fishing craft that came to assist, the defense officials confirmed.
Authorities say a number of those who died are not from The Gambia and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The remains of the seven people who died have been retrieved, and 10 of those rescued are reported to be in grave health and undergoing emergency treatment.
An Established Corridor
The Gambia is a frequent corridor taken by asylum seekers seeking to get to the EU, frequently via perilous trips over water and land.
In recent years, the European Union has reached agreements with several Maghreb states aimed at curtailing illegal migration.
