No fewer than seven people lost their lives and many others are lost in the wake of a boat ferrying approximately two hundred people attempting to reach the European continent capsized off the coast of the Gambian coast, officials state.
The craft flipped late Wednesday night near Jinack in the North Bank area and it was afterwards located "stranded on a sandbar", the country's defence ministry said in a statement.
Nearly one hundred people have been rescued so far and a rescue operation continues for other passengers who were on board the sunken boat that was en route to the Canary Islands of Spain.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for migrants from Africa seeking entry into Europe.
Close to 47,000 people reached the Canaries in 2024 and data indicates over nine thousand individuals have died during the journey.
Rescue Operation
After Wednesday's accident, Gambia's naval forces launched a rescue mission, using a number of military boats and a fishing vessel that offered help, the defense officials confirmed.
Officials state a number of those who died are foreign nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The bodies of the seven victims who died have been recovered, and ten of the survivors are described as being in grave health and receiving urgent medical care.
An Established Corridor
This West African nation is a frequent corridor used by migrants seeking to get to Europe, typically through perilous trips over water and land.
Recently, the European bloc has forged deals with a number of Maghreb states aimed at reducing illegal migration.
