At least seven people have died and many others are missing in the wake of a craft carrying around 200 migrants attempting to reach Europe overturned near the shoreline of The Gambia, authorities say.
The boat overturned on Wednesday midnight in the vicinity of Jinack village in the North Bank area and it was subsequently discovered "beached on a shoal", the country's defence ministry stated in a release.
Nearly one hundred people have been rescued so far and a search is continuing for those still missing who were traveling on the sunken boat that was en route to Spain's Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for migrants from Africa attempting to get to the EU.
Almost 47,000 people made it to the Spanish archipelago in the year 2024 and estimates over 9,000 migrants perished during the journey.
Ongoing Mission
In the aftermath of the disaster, the navy launched a rescue mission, deploying multiple navy ships and a commercial fishing craft that came to assist, the military reported.
Officials state some of the deceased are not from The Gambia and that their identities are still being verified.
The bodies of the seven victims who drowned were found, and a dozen of the saved are reported to be in serious condition and getting immediate medical attention.
A Frequent Pathway
Gambia is a frequent corridor taken by asylum seekers seeking to get to Europe, typically through dangerous journeys by sea and land.
Recently, the EU has reached agreements with multiple North African countries designed to curtailing undocumented migration.
