At least seven people have perished and many others remain unaccounted for in the wake of a boat transporting approximately two hundred people trying to get to the European continent overturned near the shoreline of The Gambia, officials state.
The boat overturned on Wednesday midnight near Jinack in the northern bank region and it was subsequently discovered "grounded on a sandbank", the Gambian military authorities stated in a release.
96 individuals have been rescued so far and a hunt is ongoing for those still missing who were aboard the shipwrecked vessel that was heading towards the Spanish Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic Ocean has grown into a more frequent path for African asylum seekers attempting to get to European nations.
Almost 47,000 individuals reached the Canaries in 2024 and estimates in excess of 9,000 migrants have died trying.
Rescue Operation
In the aftermath of the disaster, the navy began a search-and-rescue operation, deploying several naval vessels and a fishing boat that joined the effort, the defence ministry reported.
Reports indicate 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 a dozen of the saved are reported to be in serious condition and getting immediate medical attention.
A Frequent Pathway
This West African nation is one of the routes used by asylum seekers trying to reach the EU, often on dangerous journeys across ocean and terrain.
Recently, the European bloc has established pacts with several North African nations with the goal of curtailing irregular migration.
