A minimum of seven individuals have perished and numerous others are missing in the wake of a vessel carrying about 200 people attempting to reach the European continent overturned near the shoreline of The Gambia, authorities say.
The boat overturned late Wednesday night in the vicinity of the village of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was later found "beached on a shoal", the Gambian military authorities announced officially.
Nearly one hundred people 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 hazardous trip over the Atlantic Ocean has emerged as a rising pathway for African migrants seeking entry into European nations.
Close to 47,000 individuals made it to the Spanish archipelago in the year 2024 and data indicates over 9,000 migrants have lost their lives trying.
Ongoing Mission
In the aftermath of the disaster, Gambia's naval forces launched a rescue mission, involving several naval vessels and a commercial fishing craft that joined the effort, the defence ministry reported.
Reports indicate some of the deceased are not from The Gambia and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The remains of the seven victims who died have been recovered, and ten of the survivors are reported to be in grave health and getting immediate medical attention.
A Common Migration Route
Gambia is a common pathway used by migrants seeking to get to Europe, often on hazardous voyages across ocean and terrain.
In recent years, the EU has established pacts with several Maghreb states designed to curtailing irregular migration.
