At least seven people have perished and many others remain unaccounted for in the wake of a vessel transporting approximately two hundred migrants attempting to reach the European continent capsized in waters near Gambia, reports confirm.
The boat overturned late Wednesday night in the vicinity of Jinack in the North Bank area and it was later found "beached on a shoal", the country's defence ministry stated in a release.
96 individuals have been saved to date and a hunt is ongoing for those still missing who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was bound for Spain's Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for migrants from Africa seeking entry into European nations.
Close to 47,000 people made it to the Spanish archipelago in 2024 and estimates in excess of 9,000 people have died trying.
Ongoing Mission
After Wednesday's accident, The Gambian Navy launched a search operation, deploying several naval vessels and a fishing boat that joined the effort, the defence ministry said.
Officials state several of the victims are foreign nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The bodies of the seven victims who drowned have been recovered, and a dozen of the saved are said to be in grave health and receiving urgent medical care.
A Frequent Pathway
Gambia is one of the routes used by migrants attempting to enter European countries, frequently via perilous trips across ocean and terrain.
Recently, the European Union has reached agreements with several North African countries with the goal of curtailing undocumented migration.
