A minimum of seven people have perished and a significant number are missing in the wake of a craft ferrying approximately two hundred migrants attempting to reach European shores overturned in waters near Gambia, reports confirm.
The boat overturned on Wednesday midnight in the vicinity of the village of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was later found "grounded on a sandbank", the country's defence ministry announced officially.
96 individuals have been rescued so far and a search is continuing for the remaining passengers who were aboard the sunken boat that was heading towards the Spanish Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic Ocean has emerged as a rising pathway for African asylum seekers seeking entry into Europe.
Close to 47,000 people reached the Spanish archipelago in the year 2024 and estimates in excess of 9,000 people have lost their lives during the journey.
Ongoing Mission
Following the Wednesday incident, the navy initiated a search operation, involving several naval vessels and a commercial fishing craft that joined the effort, the defence ministry confirmed.
Officials state several of the victims are not Gambian nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The deceased of the seven victims who perished at sea have been recovered, and 10 of those rescued are said to be in critical condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Common Migration Route
Gambia is one of the routes taken by migrants seeking to get to Europe, frequently via perilous trips across ocean and terrain.
Over the past few years, the European bloc has reached agreements with multiple Maghreb states aimed at reducing irregular migration.
