A minimum of seven individuals lost their lives and numerous others remain unaccounted for after a boat carrying about 200 migrants trying to get to European shores capsized off the coast of The Gambia, authorities say.
The boat overturned on Wednesday midnight near Jinack in the northern bank region and it was afterwards located "stranded on a sandbar", the Gambian military authorities announced officially.
Ninety-six people have been saved to date and a rescue operation continues for those still missing who were aboard the capsized craft that was heading towards the Spanish Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for migrants from Africa trying to reach the EU.
Close to forty-seven thousand migrants made it to the Canary Islands in 2024 and data indicates over 9,000 migrants have lost their lives during the journey.
Ongoing Mission
Following the Wednesday incident, the navy began a search-and-rescue operation, involving multiple navy ships and a fishing boat that joined the effort, the defence ministry confirmed.
Reports indicate several of the victims are not Gambian nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The bodies of the seven people who drowned have been retrieved, and ten of the survivors are reported to be in serious condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
An Established Corridor
The Gambia is a common pathway taken by asylum seekers attempting to enter the EU, typically through hazardous voyages across ocean and terrain.
Over the past few years, the EU has established pacts with multiple Maghreb states aimed at reducing undocumented migration.
