No fewer than seven individuals have died and many others are lost following a vessel transporting about two hundred migrants seeking to enter European shores sank off the coast of The Gambia, authorities say.
The boat overturned late Wednesday night in the vicinity of the village of Jinack in the North Bank area and it was afterwards located "beached on a shoal", the country's defence ministry stated in a release.
96 individuals have been rescued so far and a hunt is ongoing for those still missing who were traveling on the capsized craft that was heading towards Spain's Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic Ocean has grown into a more frequent path for African asylum seekers seeking entry into European nations.
Nearly 47,000 individuals made it to the Canaries in the year 2024 and data indicates over 9,000 people have lost their lives in the attempt.
Search and Rescue Efforts
In the aftermath of the disaster, the navy began a search-and-rescue operation, using a number of military boats and a fishing boat that offered help, the defence ministry said.
Reports indicate some of the deceased are foreign nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The remains of the seven people who died have been recovered, and ten of the survivors are described as being in grave health and receiving urgent medical care.
A Frequent Pathway
This West African nation is a frequent corridor utilized by asylum seekers trying to reach European countries, typically through dangerous journeys across ocean and terrain.
Over the past few years, the European Union has forged deals with a number of Maghreb states with the goal of reducing undocumented migration.
