At least seven souls have perished and a significant number are lost following a boat transporting around two hundred migrants attempting to reach European shores sank near the shoreline of The Gambia, authorities say.
The boat overturned in the early hours of Thursday close to Jinack in the North Bank area and it was afterwards located "grounded on a sandbank", the nation's defense ministry said in a statement.
Ninety-six people were pulled to safety and a search is continuing for those still missing who were on board the sunken boat that was en route to Spain's Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic Ocean has emerged as a rising pathway for African asylum seekers trying to reach European nations.
Close to 47,000 people reached the Canary Islands in the year 2024 and estimates over nine thousand individuals have died during the journey.
Rescue Operation
Following the Wednesday incident, the navy launched a rescue mission, using a number of military boats and a fishing boat that offered help, the defense officials said.
Officials state a number of those who died are foreign nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The deceased of the seven people who drowned have been retrieved, and 10 of those rescued are described as being in grave health and undergoing emergency treatment.
An Established Corridor
Gambia is a common pathway taken by migrants attempting to enter the EU, frequently via perilous trips across ocean and terrain.
Recently, the EU has established pacts with multiple Maghreb states designed to curtailing illegal migration.
