No fewer than seven individuals lost their lives and many others are lost in the wake of a boat transporting around 200 migrants trying to get to European shores overturned off the coast of The Gambia, reports confirm.
The boat overturned late Wednesday night in the vicinity of the village of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was afterwards located "grounded on a sandbank", the Gambian military authorities announced officially.
96 individuals 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 dangerous voyage over the Atlantic Ocean has emerged as a rising pathway for African asylum seekers trying to reach Europe.
Almost 47,000 individuals made it to the Spanish archipelago in the year 2024 and figures suggest more than 9,000 migrants have died during the journey.
Ongoing Mission
Following the Wednesday incident, Gambia's naval forces began a rescue mission, using several naval vessels and a fishing boat that came to assist, the defence ministry reported.
Authorities say a number of those who died are foreign nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The remains of the seven people who perished at sea have been retrieved, and ten of the survivors are reported to be in critical condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Frequent Pathway
The Gambia is a frequent corridor taken by migrants seeking to get to Europe, often on hazardous voyages by sea and land.
Recently, the EU has established pacts with multiple North African countries designed to limiting illegal migration.
