A minimum of seven individuals have perished and many others are missing following a boat transporting approximately 200 people attempting to reach Europe sank near the shoreline of the Gambian coast, authorities say.
The boat overturned in the early hours of Thursday near the village of Jinack in the North Bank area and it was afterwards located "grounded on a sandbank", the country's defence ministry said in a statement.
Nearly one hundred people have been rescued so far and a rescue operation continues for the remaining passengers who were traveling on the sunken boat that was heading towards the Spanish Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African migrants trying to reach Europe.
Close to 47,000 individuals arrived at the Canaries in 2024 and data indicates in excess of 9,000 migrants perished in the attempt.
Ongoing Mission
In the aftermath of the disaster, Gambia's naval forces began a search-and-rescue operation, deploying multiple navy ships and a commercial fishing craft that came to assist, the defence ministry confirmed.
Reports indicate some of the deceased are foreign nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The bodies of the seven individuals who perished at sea have been retrieved, and a dozen of the saved are described as being in grave health and getting immediate medical attention.
A Frequent Pathway
This West African nation is one of the routes taken by asylum seekers seeking to get to European countries, typically through perilous trips across ocean and terrain.
In recent years, the European bloc has reached agreements with multiple North African countries aimed at reducing irregular migration.
