No fewer than seven people have perished and a significant number remain unaccounted for after a craft carrying around 200 migrants trying to get to Europe sank off the coast of Gambia, reports confirm.
The boat overturned late Wednesday night close to Jinack in the North Bank area and it was later found "stranded on a sandbar", the nation's defense ministry stated in a release.
Ninety-six people were pulled to safety and a hunt is ongoing for those still missing who were aboard the capsized craft that was bound for Spain's Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African migrants trying to reach the EU.
Nearly 47,000 people reached the Canary Islands in 2024 and figures suggest in excess of nine thousand individuals perished trying.
Search and Rescue Efforts
In the aftermath of the disaster, Gambia's naval forces launched a rescue mission, using multiple navy ships and a commercial fishing craft that offered help, the defense officials reported.
Reports indicate some of the deceased are foreign nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The remains of the seven victims who drowned have been recovered, and a dozen of the saved are reported to be in critical condition and receiving urgent medical care.
A Common Migration Route
Gambia is one of the routes used by migrants attempting to enter Europe, frequently via perilous trips by sea and land.
In recent years, the European bloc has reached agreements with a number of North African countries with the goal of reducing irregular migration.
