No fewer than seven people lost their lives and a significant number remain unaccounted for after a boat ferrying approximately two hundred migrants attempting to reach Europe overturned off the coast of the Gambian coast, reports confirm.
The craft flipped on Wednesday midnight in the vicinity of Jinack village in the northern bank region and it was subsequently discovered "grounded on a sandbank", the Gambian military authorities stated in a release.
96 individuals have been saved to date and a hunt is ongoing for those still missing who were traveling on the capsized craft that was en route to Spain's Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic Ocean has grown into a more frequent path for African asylum seekers seeking entry into Europe.
Close to forty-seven thousand migrants reached the Canaries in 2024 and data indicates more than 9,000 people have lost their lives in the attempt.
Search and Rescue Efforts
In the aftermath of the disaster, The Gambian Navy launched a search-and-rescue operation, involving several naval vessels and a commercial fishing craft that offered help, the military said.
Officials state some of the deceased are foreign nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The remains of the seven victims who drowned were found, and a dozen of the saved are said to be in critical condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Frequent Pathway
This West African nation is a frequent corridor utilized by asylum seekers seeking to get to the EU, frequently via dangerous journeys over water and land.
Over the past few years, the EU has reached agreements with a number of Maghreb states designed to limiting irregular migration.
