No fewer than seven people have died and many others are lost following a boat ferrying around 200 migrants attempting to reach the European continent sank off the coast of the Gambian coast, reports confirm.
The boat overturned late Wednesday night near Jinack village in the North Bank Region and it was subsequently discovered "grounded on a sandbank", the Gambian military authorities announced officially.
96 individuals have been rescued so far and a rescue operation continues 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 migrants trying to reach the EU.
Close to 47,000 individuals made it to the Canaries in 2024 and data indicates more than 9,000 migrants perished in the attempt.
Search and Rescue Efforts
In the aftermath of the disaster, The Gambian Navy initiated a search operation, deploying several naval vessels and a commercial fishing craft that joined the effort, the defence ministry reported.
Authorities say some of the deceased are foreign nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The bodies of the seven individuals who died have been retrieved, and 10 of those rescued are said to be in grave health and getting immediate medical attention.
A Frequent Pathway
This West African nation is a frequent corridor taken by asylum seekers attempting to enter European countries, typically through perilous trips by sea and land.
Over the past few years, the EU has reached agreements with several North African countries designed to curtailing irregular migration.
