A minimum of seven people have died and many others are lost in the wake of a boat ferrying about two hundred migrants attempting to reach the European continent sank near the shoreline of the Gambian coast, officials state.
The craft flipped on Wednesday midnight in the vicinity of Jinack village in the northern bank region and it was later found "stranded on a sandbar", the nation's defense ministry announced officially.
Nearly one hundred people were pulled to safety and a search is continuing for other passengers who were on board the capsized craft that was en route to Spain's Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African migrants trying to reach Europe.
Nearly 47,000 people reached the Spanish archipelago in the year 2024 and data indicates more than nine thousand individuals have died trying.
Rescue Operation
In the aftermath of the disaster, Gambia's naval forces launched a rescue mission, using multiple navy ships and a fishing boat that joined the effort, the defence ministry confirmed.
Officials state several of the victims are foreign nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The deceased of the seven victims who drowned have been recovered, and ten of the survivors are described as being in grave health and receiving urgent medical care.
A Common Migration Route
This West African nation is a common pathway utilized by migrants attempting to enter European countries, often on perilous trips across ocean and terrain.
Over the past few years, the European bloc has forged deals with a number of North African countries aimed at limiting undocumented migration.
