A minimum of seven people lost their lives and a significant number are missing following a boat transporting about two hundred migrants trying to get to the European continent sank in waters near Gambia, authorities say.
The boat overturned in the early hours of Thursday in the vicinity of Jinack village in the northern bank region and it was subsequently discovered "grounded on a sandbank", the Gambian military authorities announced officially.
Nearly one hundred people have been rescued so far and a search is continuing for other passengers who were on board the shipwrecked vessel that was heading towards the Spanish Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African migrants attempting to get to Europe.
Close to 47,000 people reached the Canary Islands in the year 2024 and estimates more than nine thousand individuals have lost their lives in the attempt.
Search and Rescue Efforts
In the aftermath of the disaster, The Gambian Navy initiated a search-and-rescue operation, using multiple navy ships and a fishing vessel that came to assist, the defence ministry said.
Officials state a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The remains of the seven people who died have been recovered, and a dozen of the saved are said to be in grave health and undergoing emergency treatment.
An Established Corridor
The Gambia is one of the routes taken by migrants trying to reach the EU, often on dangerous journeys across ocean and terrain.
Recently, the EU has reached agreements with multiple North African countries with the goal of limiting irregular migration.
