A minimum of seven people lost their lives and many others are lost following a boat carrying around 200 people seeking to enter the European continent capsized in waters near The Gambia, reports confirm.
The craft flipped in the early hours of Thursday close to Jinack in the northern bank region and it was afterwards located "grounded on a sandbank", the Gambian military authorities stated in a release.
Ninety-six people have been rescued so far and a hunt is ongoing for other passengers who were traveling on the sunken boat that was en route to the Spanish Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African migrants seeking entry into Europe.
Almost 47,000 individuals arrived at the Canaries in the year 2024 and estimates over 9,000 people perished trying.
Rescue Operation
After Wednesday's accident, Gambia's naval forces began a rescue mission, involving a number of military boats and a fishing boat that offered help, the defence ministry said.
Officials state some of the deceased are not from The Gambia and that their details are still being checked.
The remains of the seven people who drowned were found, and ten of the survivors are said to be in serious condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Common Migration Route
The Gambia is one of the routes utilized by migrants attempting to enter the EU, frequently via hazardous voyages over water and land.
Over the past few years, the European bloc has reached agreements with a number of Maghreb states designed to limiting illegal migration.
