A minimum of seven individuals lost their lives and many others are missing after a boat transporting around 200 migrants seeking to enter European shores sank near the shoreline of The Gambia, authorities say.
The craft flipped late Wednesday night in the vicinity of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was later found "beached on a shoal", the country's defence ministry stated in a release.
Ninety-six people have been saved to date and a search is continuing for the remaining passengers who were on board the sunken boat that was en route to the Canary Islands of Spain.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African asylum seekers trying to reach European nations.
Nearly 47,000 individuals made it to the Canaries in the year 2024 and estimates over nine thousand individuals perished in the attempt.
Ongoing Mission
After Wednesday's accident, The Gambian Navy launched a search operation, using multiple navy ships and a commercial fishing craft that joined the effort, the military confirmed.
Officials state some of the deceased are foreign nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The deceased of the seven victims who perished at sea have been retrieved, and 10 of those rescued are reported to be in serious condition and receiving urgent medical care.
A Frequent Pathway
The Gambia is one of the routes taken by asylum seekers seeking to get to European countries, typically through dangerous journeys across ocean and terrain.
Recently, the European Union has reached agreements with a number of Maghreb states aimed at curtailing undocumented migration.
