A minimum of seven individuals have died and a significant number are missing following a vessel ferrying approximately 200 migrants attempting to reach European shores capsized off the coast of Gambia, reports confirm.
The boat overturned on Wednesday midnight in the vicinity of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was later found "stranded on a sandbar", the nation's defense ministry announced officially.
Nearly one hundred people were pulled to safety and a hunt is ongoing for those still missing who were aboard the sunken boat that was en route to Spain's Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African migrants attempting to get to the EU.
Nearly forty-seven thousand migrants made it to the Canary Islands in 2024 and estimates over 9,000 people have lost their lives in the attempt.
Search and Rescue Efforts
Following the Wednesday incident, the navy initiated a search operation, involving several naval vessels and a fishing vessel that came to assist, the defence ministry reported.
Reports indicate some of the deceased are foreign nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The deceased of the seven individuals who perished at sea have been recovered, and ten of the survivors are said to be in critical condition and getting immediate medical attention.
An Established Corridor
The Gambia is one of the routes utilized by asylum seekers seeking to get to Europe, often on hazardous voyages by sea and land.
Recently, the European Union has forged deals with several North African countries designed to reducing undocumented migration.
