No fewer than seven individuals have perished and many others are lost in the wake of a boat transporting approximately 200 people attempting to reach European shores overturned off the coast of The Gambia, reports confirm.
The craft flipped in the early hours of Thursday in the vicinity of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was subsequently discovered "beached on a shoal", the nation's defense ministry said in a statement.
Ninety-six people were pulled to safety and a search is continuing for other passengers who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was en route to the Canary Islands of Spain.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African migrants attempting to get to the EU.
Close to 47,000 people made it to the Canary Islands in the year 2024 and estimates in excess of 9,000 migrants perished in the attempt.
Ongoing Mission
In the aftermath of the disaster, Gambia's naval forces began a rescue mission, involving multiple navy ships and a commercial fishing craft that joined the effort, the military confirmed.
Reports indicate a number of those who died are not from The Gambia and that their details are still being checked.
The remains of the seven individuals who drowned have been recovered, and ten of the survivors are described as being in grave health and undergoing emergency treatment.
An Established Corridor
Gambia is one of the routes utilized by migrants trying to reach European countries, frequently via hazardous voyages over water and land.
Over the past few years, the EU has forged deals with multiple North African nations designed to reducing irregular migration.
