At least seven individuals have died and numerous others are missing in the wake of a craft carrying about two hundred migrants seeking to enter the European continent overturned in waters near The Gambia, officials state.
The boat overturned late Wednesday night in the vicinity of the village of Jinack in the North Bank area and it was afterwards located "grounded on a sandbank", the nation's defense ministry stated in a release.
Nearly one hundred people were pulled to safety and a hunt is ongoing for other passengers who were on board the capsized craft that was bound for the Canary Islands of Spain.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic Ocean has grown into a more frequent path for migrants from Africa attempting to get to the EU.
Almost 47,000 people made it to the Canaries in the year 2024 and estimates more than 9,000 people perished in the attempt.
Search and Rescue Efforts
Following the Wednesday incident, the navy initiated a search-and-rescue operation, involving multiple navy ships and a commercial fishing craft that came to assist, the defence ministry reported.
Officials state some of the deceased are foreign nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The remains of the seven victims who drowned have been retrieved, and 10 of those rescued are said to be in grave health and getting immediate medical attention.
A Frequent Pathway
This West African nation is one of the routes utilized by migrants attempting to enter European countries, typically through dangerous journeys across ocean and terrain.
Over the past few years, the European Union has reached agreements with several North African nations designed to curtailing irregular migration.
