At least seven individuals have died and a significant number are lost in the wake of a boat carrying around 200 migrants attempting to reach the European continent capsized in waters near Gambia, authorities say.
The craft flipped on Wednesday midnight in the vicinity of Jinack village in the North Bank Region and it was afterwards located "beached on a shoal", the country's defence ministry said in a statement.
96 individuals were pulled to safety and a rescue operation continues for other passengers who were aboard the sunken boat that was en route to the Spanish Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic Ocean has emerged as a rising pathway for migrants from Africa trying to reach the EU.
Close to 47,000 individuals made it to the Canary Islands in 2024 and figures suggest more than nine thousand individuals perished during the journey.
Search and Rescue Efforts
After Wednesday's accident, the navy launched a search operation, using multiple navy ships and a fishing vessel that came to assist, the defence ministry reported.
Reports indicate several of the victims are not from The Gambia and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The deceased of the seven victims who died have been recovered, and ten of the survivors are described as being in grave health and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Frequent Pathway
Gambia is one of the routes taken by migrants seeking to get to European countries, typically through hazardous voyages by sea and land.
In recent years, the EU has established pacts with multiple North African nations designed to limiting undocumented migration.
