No fewer than seven souls have perished and numerous others remain unaccounted for after a vessel ferrying approximately two hundred migrants seeking to enter European shores overturned near the shoreline of the Gambian coast, authorities say.
The boat overturned on Wednesday midnight close to the village of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was afterwards located "grounded on a sandbank", the Gambian military authorities said in a statement.
Ninety-six people were pulled to safety and a rescue operation continues for the remaining passengers who were traveling on the sunken boat that was bound for Spain's Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for migrants from Africa trying to reach European nations.
Almost 47,000 people reached the Spanish archipelago in the year 2024 and figures suggest in excess of nine thousand individuals perished in the attempt.
Ongoing Mission
Following the Wednesday incident, The Gambian Navy initiated a rescue mission, using a number of military boats and a fishing boat that came to assist, the defence ministry confirmed.
Authorities say some of the deceased are foreign nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The remains of the seven people who drowned have been recovered, and ten of the survivors are said to be in critical condition and getting immediate medical attention.
A Common Migration Route
The Gambia is one of the routes taken by asylum seekers attempting to enter European countries, frequently via hazardous voyages by sea and land.
Over the past few years, the European Union has reached agreements with several North African countries designed to limiting illegal migration.
