At least seven individuals have died and many others remain unaccounted for following a craft carrying around two hundred people seeking to enter Europe sank in waters near Gambia, officials state.
The boat overturned on Wednesday midnight near Jinack village in the North Bank area and it was afterwards located "grounded on a sandbank", the country's defence ministry stated in a release.
96 individuals have been rescued so far and a rescue operation continues for those still missing who were aboard the sunken boat that was heading towards the Spanish Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African migrants trying to reach Europe.
Nearly 47,000 individuals reached the Canaries in the year 2024 and estimates over 9,000 people have died trying.
Ongoing Mission
After Wednesday's accident, Gambia's naval forces launched a search-and-rescue operation, deploying a number of military boats and a fishing vessel that joined the effort, the defense officials said.
Reports indicate some of the deceased are not Gambian nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The deceased of the seven individuals who drowned have been retrieved, and ten of the survivors are reported to be in grave health and receiving urgent medical care.
An Established Corridor
The Gambia is a frequent corridor utilized by migrants trying to reach European countries, typically through perilous trips over water and land.
Over the past few years, the European bloc has established pacts with several Maghreb states with the goal of reducing undocumented migration.
