No fewer than seven individuals have died and numerous others remain unaccounted for after a boat transporting approximately 200 migrants trying to get to European shores capsized off the coast of Gambia, officials state.
The craft flipped late Wednesday night close to Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was later found "grounded on a sandbank", the nation's defense ministry said in a statement.
96 individuals have been saved to date and a hunt is ongoing for those still missing who were aboard the shipwrecked vessel that was heading towards the Spanish Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic Ocean has emerged as a rising pathway for migrants from Africa trying to reach European nations.
Close to 47,000 people reached the Canary Islands in 2024 and data indicates over nine thousand individuals have lost their lives trying.
Ongoing Mission
In the aftermath of the disaster, Gambia's naval forces initiated a rescue mission, using a number of military boats and a fishing boat that came to assist, the defence ministry reported.
Reports indicate a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The deceased of the seven people who died have been recovered, and ten of the survivors are said to be in serious condition and receiving urgent medical care.
An Established Corridor
Gambia is one of the routes utilized by asylum seekers attempting to enter European countries, typically through hazardous voyages over water and land.
Over the past few years, the European Union has established pacts with several North African nations with the goal of curtailing illegal migration.
