A minimum of seven people have perished and many others are missing in the wake of a boat ferrying about two hundred people trying to get to the European continent overturned in waters near Gambia, reports confirm.
The boat overturned in the early hours of Thursday close to Jinack village in the North Bank Region and it was afterwards located "stranded on a sandbar", the country's defence ministry said in a statement.
96 individuals were pulled to safety and a hunt is ongoing for those still missing who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was bound for the Canary Islands of Spain.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic Ocean has emerged as a rising pathway for migrants from Africa seeking entry into the EU.
Nearly 47,000 people made it to the Canary Islands in 2024 and data indicates over 9,000 people have died trying.
Rescue Operation
In the aftermath of the disaster, The Gambian Navy began a search operation, deploying several naval vessels and a commercial fishing craft that came to assist, the defence ministry reported.
Authorities say some of the deceased are foreign nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The bodies of the seven people who drowned have been retrieved, and ten of the survivors are reported to be in serious condition and receiving urgent medical care.
An Established Corridor
Gambia is a frequent corridor used by migrants trying to reach the EU, often on perilous trips by sea and land.
Over the past few years, the European Union has established pacts with a number of North African countries aimed at curtailing irregular migration.
