No fewer than seven people have perished and a significant number are lost after a craft carrying approximately 200 migrants seeking to enter the European continent overturned off the coast of The Gambia, authorities say.
The craft flipped late Wednesday night near Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was later found "grounded on a sandbank", the nation's defense ministry stated in a release.
96 individuals have been saved to date and a hunt is ongoing for those still missing who were traveling on the sunken boat that was bound for the Canary Islands of Spain.
The dangerous voyage over the the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African asylum seekers trying to reach Europe.
Almost 47,000 individuals arrived at the Spanish archipelago in 2024 and figures suggest more than 9,000 migrants have lost their lives during the journey.
Ongoing Mission
In the aftermath of the disaster, Gambia's naval forces launched a search-and-rescue operation, deploying multiple navy ships and a fishing boat that came to assist, the defence ministry reported.
Officials state a number of those who died are not from The Gambia and that their details are still being checked.
The remains of the seven victims who perished at sea were found, and a dozen of the saved are reported to be in grave health and undergoing emergency treatment.
An Established Corridor
This West African nation is a frequent corridor taken by asylum seekers seeking to get to the EU, typically through hazardous voyages by sea and land.
Over the past few years, the EU has reached agreements with several North African nations designed to limiting irregular migration.
