No fewer than seven people have perished and a significant number are lost following a vessel carrying about two hundred migrants attempting to reach European shores overturned near the shoreline of Gambia, officials state.
The boat overturned late Wednesday night close to the village of Jinack in the North Bank area and it was later found "beached on a shoal", the nation's defense ministry said in a statement.
Ninety-six people have been rescued so far and a hunt is ongoing for those still missing who were on board the shipwrecked vessel that was heading towards the Canary Islands of Spain.
The perilous journey over the the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African migrants attempting to get to European nations.
Almost forty-seven thousand migrants reached the Spanish archipelago in the year 2024 and data indicates over nine thousand individuals have died during the journey.
Ongoing Mission
Following the Wednesday incident, Gambia's naval forces initiated a rescue mission, deploying multiple navy ships and a commercial fishing craft that came to assist, the defense officials confirmed.
Officials state several of the victims are not Gambian nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The bodies of the seven people who drowned were found, and a dozen of the saved are described as being in serious condition and getting immediate medical attention.
An Established Corridor
This West African nation is a frequent corridor used by migrants seeking to get to Europe, often on hazardous voyages across ocean and terrain.
Over the past few years, the European bloc has forged deals with multiple North African nations with the goal of reducing illegal migration.
