At least seven people lost their lives and numerous others remain unaccounted for in the wake of a vessel carrying around 200 migrants trying to get to Europe sank near the shoreline of Gambia, reports confirm.
The boat overturned late Wednesday night near Jinack in the North Bank area and it was subsequently discovered "stranded on a sandbar", the Gambian military authorities announced officially.
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 en route to Spain's Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African asylum seekers attempting to get to Europe.
Close to 47,000 people made it to the Spanish archipelago in 2024 and data indicates more than nine thousand individuals have lost their lives trying.
Search and Rescue Efforts
Following the Wednesday incident, Gambia's naval forces initiated a search-and-rescue operation, involving several naval vessels and a fishing vessel that joined the effort, the defense officials reported.
Reports indicate some of the deceased are not Gambian nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The deceased of the seven victims who perished at sea have been retrieved, and a dozen of the saved are reported to be in grave health and receiving urgent medical care.
A Frequent Pathway
This West African nation is a frequent corridor taken by asylum seekers seeking to get to European countries, often on perilous trips over water and land.
Over the past few years, the European Union has reached agreements with several North African countries with the goal of limiting illegal migration.
