A minimum of seven individuals have perished and many others are missing following a craft carrying approximately 200 people seeking to enter the European continent sank off the coast of Gambia, authorities say.
The boat overturned on Wednesday midnight in the vicinity of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was subsequently discovered "beached on a shoal", the country's defence ministry stated in a release.
Ninety-six people were pulled to safety and a search is continuing for the remaining passengers who were on board the shipwrecked vessel that was bound for the Canary Islands of Spain.
The perilous journey over the the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for migrants from Africa seeking entry into Europe.
Close to 47,000 people made it to the Spanish archipelago in the year 2024 and estimates over 9,000 migrants have lost their lives trying.
Search and Rescue Efforts
In the aftermath of the disaster, The Gambian Navy began a rescue mission, deploying a number of military boats and a commercial fishing craft that joined the effort, the defence ministry said.
Reports indicate some of the deceased are not from The Gambia and that their details are still being checked.
The bodies of the seven people who drowned have been retrieved, and ten of the survivors are reported to be in critical condition and receiving urgent medical care.
An Established Corridor
This West African nation is a frequent corridor utilized by asylum seekers attempting to enter the EU, frequently via perilous trips by sea and land.
In recent years, the European Union has established pacts with a number of Maghreb states with the goal of reducing undocumented migration.
