A minimum of seven individuals have perished and many others remain unaccounted for following a vessel transporting about two hundred migrants trying to get to Europe sank off the coast of the Gambian coast, authorities say.
The craft flipped late Wednesday night in the vicinity of Jinack village in the northern bank region and it was later found "grounded on a sandbank", the country's defence ministry announced officially.
Nearly one hundred people were pulled to safety and a rescue operation continues for the remaining passengers who were traveling on the sunken boat that was bound for the Spanish Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African migrants attempting to get to European nations.
Close to forty-seven thousand migrants arrived at the Spanish archipelago in the year 2024 and figures suggest more than 9,000 migrants have died trying.
Rescue Operation
In the aftermath of the disaster, The Gambian Navy began a search-and-rescue operation, using multiple navy ships and a commercial fishing craft that offered help, the defense officials confirmed.
Authorities say a number of those who died are foreign nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The deceased of the seven individuals who drowned have been recovered, and 10 of those rescued are described as being in critical condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Common Migration Route
The Gambia is a common pathway used by asylum seekers attempting to enter Europe, often on hazardous voyages over water and land.
Over the past few years, the European bloc has forged deals with multiple North African countries designed to limiting irregular migration.
