A minimum of seven individuals have perished and a significant number are missing in the wake of a boat carrying approximately two hundred migrants seeking to enter Europe sank near the shoreline of the Gambian coast, authorities say.
The boat overturned late Wednesday night close to the village of Jinack in the North Bank area and it was subsequently discovered "stranded on a sandbar", the nation's defense ministry stated in a release.
96 individuals have been saved to date and a hunt is ongoing for those still missing who were aboard the shipwrecked vessel that was bound for the Canary Islands of Spain.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic Ocean has emerged as a rising pathway for African migrants trying to reach the EU.
Nearly 47,000 individuals made it to the Spanish archipelago in the year 2024 and data indicates more than 9,000 migrants perished in the attempt.
Search and Rescue Efforts
After Wednesday's accident, Gambia's naval forces began a search-and-rescue operation, involving multiple navy ships and a fishing vessel that offered help, the defence ministry confirmed.
Officials state some of the deceased are not Gambian nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The bodies of the seven victims who drowned have been retrieved, and ten of the survivors are said to be in serious condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Frequent Pathway
Gambia is one of the routes used by asylum seekers attempting to enter European countries, frequently via perilous trips across ocean and terrain.
In recent years, the European Union has reached agreements with a number of North African countries with the goal of curtailing undocumented migration.
