A minimum of seven souls have perished and many others remain unaccounted for in the wake of a boat transporting around 200 migrants attempting to reach European shores sank off the coast of the Gambian coast, reports confirm.
The vessel capsized in the early hours of Thursday near the village of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was afterwards located "grounded on a sandbank", the country's defence ministry said in a statement.
Ninety-six people have been saved to date and a rescue operation continues for other passengers who were traveling on the sunken boat that was en route to the Canary Islands of Spain.
The perilous journey over the the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African migrants seeking entry into European nations.
Close to 47,000 people reached the Spanish archipelago in 2024 and data indicates in excess of 9,000 people perished trying.
Ongoing Mission
Following the Wednesday incident, the navy began a search-and-rescue operation, involving several naval vessels and a fishing vessel that offered help, the defence ministry said.
Reports indicate some of the deceased are not from The Gambia and that their details are still being checked.
The bodies of the seven victims who drowned have been retrieved, and a dozen of the saved are said to be in grave health and receiving urgent medical care.
A Frequent Pathway
This West African nation is a frequent corridor used by migrants attempting to enter European countries, often on hazardous voyages across ocean and terrain.
Recently, the European bloc has reached agreements with several North African nations with the goal of curtailing undocumented migration.
