At least seven souls have died and a significant number are lost in the wake of a boat ferrying about 200 migrants seeking to enter European shores overturned near the shoreline of the Gambian coast, authorities say.
The boat overturned late Wednesday night in the vicinity of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was later found "stranded on a sandbar", the country's defence ministry said in a statement.
Nearly one hundred people were pulled to safety and a rescue operation continues for other passengers who were on board the shipwrecked vessel that was bound for Spain's Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African asylum seekers attempting to get to European nations.
Nearly 47,000 people made it to the Canary Islands in the year 2024 and figures suggest in excess of 9,000 migrants have died in the attempt.
Rescue Operation
In the aftermath of the disaster, Gambia's naval forces initiated a search-and-rescue operation, using a number of military boats and a fishing vessel that joined the effort, the military said.
Authorities say several of the victims are foreign nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The bodies of the seven individuals who perished at sea have been recovered, and ten of the survivors are said to be in grave health and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Common Migration Route
The Gambia is a frequent corridor used by migrants seeking to get to the EU, frequently via hazardous voyages by sea and land.
Recently, the European bloc has established pacts with a number of North African nations aimed at reducing illegal migration.
