At least seven souls have died and numerous others remain unaccounted for following a boat ferrying around two hundred people trying to get to the European continent capsized near the shoreline of the Gambian coast, reports confirm.
The vessel capsized in the early hours of Thursday in the vicinity of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was subsequently discovered "stranded on a sandbar", the nation's defense ministry said in a statement.
Nearly one hundred people have been saved to date and a hunt is ongoing for other passengers who were aboard the sunken boat that was heading towards the Canary Islands of Spain.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic Ocean has become an increasingly common route for African migrants trying to reach the EU.
Nearly forty-seven thousand migrants made it to the Canaries in the year 2024 and estimates more than nine thousand individuals have died in the attempt.
Ongoing Mission
Following the Wednesday incident, The Gambian Navy launched a rescue mission, deploying multiple navy ships and a commercial fishing craft that joined the effort, the defense officials reported.
Officials state some of the deceased are not Gambian nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The bodies of the seven victims who drowned have been retrieved, and 10 of those rescued are reported to be in serious condition and getting immediate medical attention.
A Common Migration Route
This West African nation is one of the routes utilized by migrants attempting to enter the EU, often on hazardous voyages across ocean and terrain.
Over the past few years, the EU has reached agreements with several North African countries aimed at limiting illegal migration.
