A minimum of seven individuals have perished and many others are lost after a vessel transporting around 200 migrants attempting to reach European shores overturned in waters near The Gambia, authorities say.
The craft flipped in the early hours of Thursday close to Jinack village in the North Bank Region and it was later found "beached on a shoal", the Gambian military authorities announced officially.
Nearly one hundred people have been saved to date and a rescue operation continues for other passengers who were on board the sunken boat that was bound for the Canary Islands of Spain.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic Ocean has emerged as a rising pathway for migrants from Africa attempting to get to European nations.
Almost forty-seven thousand migrants reached the Canary Islands in the year 2024 and figures suggest over 9,000 people have lost their lives trying.
Search and Rescue Efforts
After Wednesday's accident, The Gambian Navy began a rescue mission, deploying several naval vessels and a fishing vessel that offered help, the military reported.
Officials state a number of those who died are not from The Gambia and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The remains of the seven victims who perished at sea were found, and a dozen of the saved are reported to be in grave health and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Common Migration Route
Gambia is a common pathway utilized by migrants seeking to get to European countries, often on perilous trips across ocean and terrain.
In recent years, the European Union has forged deals with several North African nations designed to limiting irregular migration.
