No fewer than seven people have perished and many others are lost in the wake of a boat transporting approximately 200 people trying to get to European shores sank near the shoreline of the Gambian coast, officials state.
The vessel capsized in the early hours of Thursday close to the village of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was subsequently discovered "beached on a shoal", the Gambian military authorities announced officially.
Nearly one hundred people have been saved to date and a rescue operation continues for other passengers who were traveling on the capsized craft that was heading towards Spain's Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African migrants trying to reach the EU.
Close to 47,000 individuals reached the Canary Islands in 2024 and data indicates over nine thousand individuals have died trying.
Search and Rescue Efforts
Following the Wednesday incident, Gambia's naval forces launched a search-and-rescue operation, involving several naval vessels and a commercial fishing craft that offered help, the defence ministry said.
Reports indicate a number of those who died are foreign nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The deceased of the seven victims who died have been retrieved, and 10 of those rescued are said to be in serious condition and receiving urgent medical care.
A Frequent Pathway
The Gambia is a common pathway used by asylum seekers seeking to get to European countries, typically through perilous trips over water and land.
In recent years, the EU has reached agreements with a number of North African countries designed to reducing illegal migration.
