A minimum of seven souls have perished and a significant number are missing following a vessel transporting about two hundred migrants attempting to reach the European continent capsized near the shoreline of the Gambian coast, reports confirm.
The boat overturned in the early hours of Thursday in the vicinity of Jinack village in the North Bank area and it was later found "beached on a shoal", the country's defence ministry said in a statement.
Ninety-six people were pulled to safety and a search is continuing for other passengers who were on board the sunken boat that was bound for Spain's Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for migrants from Africa seeking entry into the EU.
Almost 47,000 people arrived at the Canary Islands in the year 2024 and estimates more than 9,000 people have lost their lives in the attempt.
Search and Rescue Efforts
In the aftermath of the disaster, Gambia's naval forces began a search-and-rescue operation, deploying a number of military boats and a fishing vessel that came to assist, the defense officials reported.
Authorities say several of the victims are foreign nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The bodies of the seven victims who drowned have been recovered, and a dozen of the saved are said to be in grave health and receiving urgent medical care.
An Established Corridor
Gambia is a common pathway taken by migrants seeking to get to European countries, frequently via dangerous journeys over water and land.
In recent years, the European bloc has reached agreements with a number of Maghreb states designed to reducing illegal migration.
