A minimum of seven individuals have died and many others are missing after a boat transporting around 200 migrants attempting to reach Europe sank near the shoreline of The Gambia, officials state.
The boat overturned in the early hours of Thursday near Jinack in the northern bank region and it was afterwards located "beached on a shoal", the Gambian military authorities said in a statement.
Nearly one hundred people have been saved to date and a hunt is ongoing for other passengers who were aboard the capsized craft that was heading towards the Canary Islands of Spain.
The hazardous trip over the the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African asylum seekers attempting to get to European nations.
Close to 47,000 people arrived at the Canaries in the year 2024 and figures suggest more than nine thousand individuals have died in the attempt.
Rescue Operation
Following the Wednesday incident, The Gambian Navy launched a search-and-rescue operation, using a number of military boats and a fishing vessel that joined the effort, the defense officials reported.
Authorities say some of the deceased are foreign nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The bodies of the seven people who drowned have been retrieved, and ten of the survivors are described as being in critical condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Frequent Pathway
The Gambia is a common pathway utilized by asylum seekers trying to reach Europe, frequently via perilous trips over water and land.
Recently, the European bloc has established pacts with multiple North African nations designed to curtailing irregular migration.
