A minimum of seven people have perished and many others remain unaccounted for following a boat ferrying approximately 200 migrants seeking to enter the European continent sank in waters near the Gambian coast, authorities say.
The boat overturned late Wednesday night close to Jinack in the North Bank area and it was afterwards located "stranded on a sandbar", the nation's defense ministry said in a statement.
Nearly one hundred people have been rescued so far and a search is continuing for those still missing who were aboard the shipwrecked vessel that was heading towards Spain's Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African asylum seekers trying to reach the EU.
Nearly 47,000 people reached the Canary Islands in the year 2024 and figures suggest in excess of 9,000 people have lost their lives trying.
Rescue Operation
In the aftermath of the disaster, Gambia's naval forces began a search operation, using multiple navy ships and a fishing vessel that joined the effort, the military reported.
Reports indicate a number of those who died are foreign nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The bodies of the seven victims who died have been recovered, and 10 of those rescued are described as being in critical condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Frequent Pathway
Gambia is a common pathway utilized by migrants trying to reach European countries, often on hazardous voyages over water and land.
In recent years, the European bloc has forged deals with several Maghreb states with the goal of curtailing undocumented migration.
