At least seven people lost their lives and many others remain unaccounted for after a boat ferrying approximately 200 migrants trying to get to Europe sank off the coast of The Gambia, authorities say.
The vessel capsized late Wednesday night close to Jinack village in the northern bank region and it was afterwards located "beached on a shoal", the Gambian military authorities announced officially.
Nearly one hundred people were pulled to safety and a hunt is ongoing for those still missing who were on board the shipwrecked vessel that was heading towards the Spanish Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic Ocean has become an increasingly common route for African migrants trying to reach European nations.
Close to forty-seven thousand migrants reached the Spanish archipelago in 2024 and data indicates in excess of 9,000 people have died during the journey.
Rescue Operation
In the aftermath of the disaster, the navy launched a search-and-rescue operation, deploying a number of military boats and a fishing vessel that offered help, the defense officials confirmed.
Authorities say several of the victims are not Gambian nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The bodies of the seven victims who drowned have been recovered, and ten of the survivors are described as being in serious condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Frequent Pathway
Gambia is a common pathway taken by migrants seeking to get to European countries, frequently via dangerous journeys by sea and land.
Over the past few years, the European bloc has reached agreements with a number of North African nations with the goal of reducing undocumented migration.
