No fewer than seven individuals lost their lives and many others are missing in the wake of a boat carrying approximately two hundred people attempting to reach the European continent capsized in waters near The Gambia, reports confirm.
The boat overturned in the early hours of Thursday close to the village of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was afterwards located "grounded on a sandbank", the country's defence ministry stated in a release.
96 individuals were pulled to safety and a rescue operation continues for those still missing who were aboard the capsized craft that was bound for Spain's Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African migrants trying to reach Europe.
Almost forty-seven thousand migrants arrived at the Canaries in the year 2024 and figures suggest more than 9,000 migrants have died during the journey.
Rescue Operation
Following the Wednesday incident, The Gambian Navy initiated a rescue mission, involving multiple navy ships and a commercial fishing craft that offered help, the military said.
Officials state a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The bodies of the seven people who died have been recovered, and ten of the survivors are said to be in grave health and getting immediate medical attention.
An Established Corridor
Gambia is a common pathway taken by migrants attempting to enter the EU, often on dangerous journeys across ocean and terrain.
In recent years, the European bloc has established pacts with multiple North African countries aimed at limiting illegal migration.
