No fewer than seven people have perished and many others remain unaccounted for after a vessel ferrying approximately 200 migrants seeking to enter the European continent overturned off the coast of the Gambian coast, authorities say.
The boat overturned late Wednesday night in the vicinity of the village of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was afterwards located "beached on a shoal", the Gambian military authorities stated in a release.
Nearly one hundred people have been rescued so far and a search is continuing for those still missing who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was en route to the Spanish Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for migrants from Africa trying to reach the EU.
Almost 47,000 individuals reached the Canary Islands in 2024 and estimates in excess of nine thousand individuals perished during the journey.
Search and Rescue Efforts
In the aftermath of the disaster, the navy initiated a search operation, deploying a number of military boats and a commercial fishing craft that joined the effort, the military confirmed.
Reports indicate some of the deceased are foreign nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The remains of the seven victims who perished at sea have been retrieved, and 10 of those rescued are reported to be in grave health and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Common Migration Route
Gambia is a common pathway used by asylum seekers attempting to enter European countries, typically through perilous trips over water and land.
Over the past few years, the EU has established pacts with a number of Maghreb states aimed at reducing illegal migration.
