At least seven individuals have perished and numerous others remain unaccounted for following a vessel carrying around 200 migrants trying to get to the European continent sank near the shoreline of Gambia, authorities say.
The boat overturned in the early hours of Thursday in the vicinity of the village of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was later found "beached on a shoal", the country's defence ministry said in a statement.
Nearly one hundred people have been saved to date and a hunt is ongoing for those still missing who were aboard the shipwrecked vessel that was en route to the Canary Islands of Spain.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African asylum seekers trying to reach European nations.
Close to 47,000 people made it to the Canaries in 2024 and data indicates more than 9,000 migrants have died in the attempt.
Search and Rescue Efforts
In the aftermath of the disaster, the navy launched a search operation, deploying multiple navy ships and a fishing vessel that came to assist, the defence ministry confirmed.
Authorities say a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The deceased of the seven individuals who drowned were found, and ten of the survivors are said to be in grave health and undergoing emergency treatment.
An Established Corridor
The Gambia is one of the routes used by migrants attempting to enter the EU, often on hazardous voyages over water and land.
Over the past few years, the EU has forged deals with multiple North African countries designed to reducing illegal migration.
