At least seven people lost their lives and a significant number remain unaccounted for after a vessel transporting about two hundred migrants trying to get to European shores overturned off the coast of The Gambia, authorities say.
The boat overturned in the early hours of Thursday close to Jinack in the northern bank region and it was afterwards located "grounded on a sandbank", the Gambian military authorities stated in a release.
Ninety-six people have been rescued so far and a hunt is ongoing for those still missing who were traveling on the sunken boat that was heading towards the Canary Islands of Spain.
The perilous journey over the the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African asylum seekers seeking entry into European nations.
Almost 47,000 people made it to the Spanish archipelago in the year 2024 and estimates more than 9,000 migrants have lost their lives trying.
Ongoing Mission
In the aftermath of the disaster, The Gambian Navy launched a search operation, involving multiple navy ships and a fishing boat that joined the effort, the military confirmed.
Authorities say some of the deceased are not from The Gambia and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The remains of the seven individuals who perished at sea have been recovered, and ten of the survivors are reported to be in grave health and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Common Migration Route
This West African nation is a common pathway taken by asylum seekers trying to reach European countries, often on dangerous journeys by sea and land.
Over the past few years, the EU has forged deals with a number of North African countries designed to curtailing illegal migration.
