No fewer than seven souls lost their lives and a significant number are missing after a boat carrying approximately two hundred people seeking to enter Europe capsized near the shoreline of the Gambian coast, authorities say.
The vessel capsized on Wednesday midnight near Jinack village in the northern bank region and it was subsequently discovered "stranded on a sandbar", the Gambian military authorities announced officially.
Nearly one hundred people have been rescued so far and a search is continuing for those still missing who were aboard the capsized craft that was heading towards the Spanish Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African asylum seekers seeking entry into Europe.
Nearly 47,000 people reached the Canary Islands in 2024 and estimates more than 9,000 people have died during the journey.
Rescue Operation
In the aftermath of the disaster, Gambia's naval forces launched a search-and-rescue operation, using a number of military boats and a fishing vessel that came to assist, the defence ministry reported.
Officials state a number of those who died are foreign nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The bodies of the seven victims who perished at sea have been retrieved, and 10 of those rescued are described as being in serious condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
An Established Corridor
Gambia is a common pathway utilized by asylum seekers trying to reach European countries, often on perilous trips across ocean and terrain.
Recently, the EU has established pacts with multiple North African nations with the goal of curtailing illegal migration.
