A minimum of seven souls have perished and many others are missing in the wake of a boat ferrying around two hundred people trying to get to European shores sank near the shoreline of Gambia, reports confirm.
The craft flipped late Wednesday night in the vicinity of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was afterwards located "stranded on a sandbar", the country's defence ministry stated in a release.
Nearly one hundred people were pulled to safety and a hunt is ongoing for the remaining passengers who were traveling on the capsized craft that was bound for Spain's Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for migrants from Africa attempting to get to European nations.
Nearly 47,000 individuals arrived at 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 Gambian Navy initiated a search operation, deploying several naval vessels and a fishing vessel that joined the effort, the defense officials confirmed.
Reports indicate a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The remains of the seven victims who drowned have been recovered, and a dozen of the saved are described as being in serious condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
An Established Corridor
Gambia is a common pathway taken by migrants seeking to get to Europe, typically through dangerous journeys over water and land.
Over the past few years, the European bloc has reached agreements with several North African countries designed to curtailing undocumented migration.
