A minimum of seven individuals have died and many others are missing in the wake of a vessel transporting about 200 migrants attempting to reach European shores sank near the shoreline of The Gambia, reports confirm.
The boat overturned in the early hours of Thursday close to Jinack village in the North Bank Region and it was later found "grounded on a sandbank", the nation's defense ministry said in a statement.
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 en route to the Spanish Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African migrants attempting to get to the EU.
Almost 47,000 individuals made it to the Canaries in the year 2024 and figures suggest over nine thousand individuals have died trying.
Rescue Operation
In the aftermath of the disaster, Gambia's naval forces launched a rescue mission, involving multiple navy ships and a fishing boat that came to assist, the defence ministry reported.
Reports indicate some of the deceased are not Gambian nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The deceased of the seven victims who drowned have been recovered, and ten of the survivors are reported to be in critical condition and receiving urgent medical care.
An Established Corridor
This West African nation is a common pathway utilized by asylum seekers seeking to get to Europe, typically through perilous trips across ocean and terrain.
Over the past few years, the European Union has forged deals with multiple North African countries with the goal of curtailing irregular migration.
