At least seven individuals have perished and numerous others are missing after a vessel transporting approximately two hundred people attempting to reach the European continent capsized in waters near The Gambia, authorities say.
The craft flipped in the early hours of Thursday near the village of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was later found "grounded on a sandbank", the Gambian military authorities announced officially.
96 individuals have been rescued so far and a search is continuing for the remaining passengers who were traveling on the sunken boat that was en route to the Canary Islands of Spain.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic Ocean has become an increasingly common route for African asylum seekers seeking entry into European nations.
Almost forty-seven thousand migrants reached the Canary Islands in 2024 and estimates in excess of 9,000 people have died during the journey.
Search and Rescue Efforts
In the aftermath of the disaster, The Gambian Navy initiated a search-and-rescue operation, deploying multiple navy ships and a commercial fishing craft that joined the effort, the defence ministry confirmed.
Reports indicate a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The bodies of the seven people who drowned have been recovered, and 10 of those rescued are reported to be in grave health and getting immediate medical attention.
A Common Migration Route
The Gambia is one of the routes utilized by asylum seekers seeking to get to European countries, often on perilous trips over water and land.
Recently, the European Union has reached agreements with several North African countries with the goal of limiting irregular migration.
