A minimum of seven people have died and many others are lost following a boat ferrying approximately 200 migrants attempting to reach the European continent capsized off the coast of the Gambian coast, reports confirm.
The boat overturned late Wednesday night near Jinack in the northern bank region and it was afterwards located "beached on a shoal", the nation's defense ministry said in a statement.
Nearly one hundred people have been saved to date and a hunt is ongoing for those still missing who were on board the shipwrecked vessel that was en route to Spain's Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for migrants from Africa seeking entry into the EU.
Almost 47,000 individuals made it to the Canaries in the year 2024 and data indicates more than 9,000 people have died during the journey.
Search and Rescue Efforts
After Wednesday's accident, The Gambian Navy launched a search-and-rescue operation, using multiple navy ships and a fishing boat that joined the effort, the defence ministry reported.
Authorities say some of the deceased are not Gambian nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The bodies of the seven victims who drowned have been retrieved, and a dozen of the saved are reported to be in grave health and undergoing emergency treatment.
An Established Corridor
This West African nation is a common pathway used by migrants trying to reach the EU, often on hazardous voyages by sea and land.
Recently, the European bloc has reached agreements with a number of North African nations designed to reducing irregular migration.
