No fewer than seven people have perished and numerous others are missing after a boat ferrying approximately two hundred people trying to get to European shores sank off the coast of the Gambian coast, authorities say.
The vessel capsized late Wednesday night in the vicinity of Jinack in the North Bank area and it was afterwards located "grounded on a sandbank", the country's defence ministry said in a statement.
96 individuals were pulled to safety and a search is continuing for those still missing who were aboard the shipwrecked vessel that was bound for the Spanish Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African asylum seekers seeking entry into European nations.
Close to forty-seven thousand migrants reached the Canary Islands in the year 2024 and figures suggest more than 9,000 people have lost their lives during the journey.
Rescue Operation
Following the Wednesday incident, Gambia's naval forces initiated a search operation, deploying a number of military boats and a fishing vessel that came to assist, the defense officials said.
Officials state some of the deceased are not from The Gambia and that their details are still being checked.
The bodies of the seven people who drowned were found, and ten of the survivors are described as being in critical condition and getting immediate medical attention.
A Frequent Pathway
The Gambia is a common pathway used by migrants trying to reach European countries, typically through hazardous voyages by sea and land.
In recent years, the European Union has forged deals with several North African countries designed to limiting undocumented migration.
