No fewer than seven individuals lost their lives and many others are missing in the wake of a boat ferrying around two hundred migrants seeking to enter the European continent overturned in waters near The Gambia, officials state.
The boat overturned late Wednesday night near the village of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was subsequently discovered "grounded on a sandbank", the nation's defense ministry announced officially.
96 individuals were pulled to safety and a hunt is ongoing for the remaining passengers who were on board the sunken boat that was en route to Spain's Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for migrants from Africa trying to reach the EU.
Almost 47,000 people reached the Canary Islands in the year 2024 and figures suggest in excess of 9,000 people perished during the journey.
Ongoing Mission
After Wednesday's accident, The Gambian Navy initiated a search-and-rescue operation, using a number of military boats and a fishing vessel that came to assist, the defense officials said.
Officials state a number of those who died are not from The Gambia and that their details are still being checked.
The bodies of the seven people who drowned have been recovered, and 10 of those rescued are described as being in grave health and receiving urgent medical care.
An Established Corridor
Gambia is a common pathway used by migrants seeking to get to the EU, often on dangerous journeys across ocean and terrain.
Recently, the European Union has established pacts with a number of North African countries aimed at limiting undocumented migration.
