At least seven individuals have died and numerous others are lost following a boat ferrying about two hundred migrants seeking to enter the European continent sank in waters near the Gambian coast, reports confirm.
The vessel capsized in the early hours of Thursday close to Jinack village in the northern bank region and it was subsequently discovered "stranded on a sandbar", the country's defence ministry said in a statement.
96 individuals have been saved to date and a hunt is ongoing for other passengers who were traveling on the sunken boat that was bound for Spain's Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African asylum seekers trying to reach European nations.
Almost forty-seven thousand migrants arrived at the Spanish archipelago in the year 2024 and data indicates more than 9,000 migrants have lost their lives trying.
Ongoing Mission
Following the Wednesday incident, The Gambian Navy launched a search operation, using multiple navy ships and a fishing boat that came to assist, the military reported.
Officials state a number of those who died are not from The Gambia and that their details are still being checked.
The bodies of the seven victims who died have been recovered, and ten of the survivors are said to be in grave health and getting immediate medical attention.
A Common Migration Route
This West African nation is a common pathway taken by asylum seekers seeking to get to European countries, often on perilous trips over water and land.
Recently, the EU has established pacts with several North African nations aimed at reducing illegal migration.
