A minimum of seven people have perished and numerous others remain unaccounted for after a boat transporting about two hundred migrants attempting to reach the European continent overturned off the coast of the Gambian coast, reports confirm.
The craft flipped on Wednesday midnight close to Jinack in the North Bank area and it was afterwards located "grounded on a sandbank", the country's defence ministry announced officially.
Ninety-six people were pulled to safety and a rescue operation continues for other passengers who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was heading towards Spain's Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic Ocean has grown into a more frequent path for migrants from Africa trying to reach the EU.
Close to 47,000 people arrived at the Canary Islands in 2024 and data indicates more than 9,000 people have died in the attempt.
Search and Rescue Efforts
In the aftermath of the disaster, The Gambian Navy launched a rescue mission, using a number of military boats and a fishing vessel that offered help, the military said.
Reports indicate several of the victims are not Gambian nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The remains of the seven people who drowned were found, and ten of the survivors are said to be in grave health and receiving urgent medical care.
A Frequent Pathway
Gambia is one of the routes used by migrants seeking to get to European countries, often on dangerous journeys by sea and land.
In recent years, the European bloc has forged deals with multiple North African countries designed to limiting illegal migration.
