A minimum of seven people lost their lives and a significant number are missing in the wake of a boat carrying around two hundred people trying to get to Europe overturned off the coast of The Gambia, reports confirm.
The boat overturned late Wednesday night in the vicinity of the village of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was subsequently discovered "beached on a shoal", the country's defence ministry stated in a release.
Ninety-six people have been saved to date and a search is continuing for other passengers who were on board the sunken boat that was bound for the Spanish Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African asylum seekers attempting to get to Europe.
Almost 47,000 people reached the Canaries in the year 2024 and estimates more than 9,000 migrants perished trying.
Search and Rescue Efforts
In the aftermath of the disaster, The Gambian Navy began a search-and-rescue operation, involving a number of military boats and a fishing boat that came to assist, the defence ministry said.
Officials state several of the victims are not Gambian nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The deceased of the seven individuals who perished at sea were found, and a dozen of the saved are reported to be in grave health and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Frequent Pathway
This West African nation is a frequent corridor utilized by migrants seeking to get to Europe, frequently via dangerous journeys by sea and land.
Over the past few years, the European bloc has forged deals with several North African nations with the goal of limiting irregular migration.