No fewer than seven people have perished and numerous others are missing after a boat ferrying approximately two hundred migrants trying to get to Europe sank off the coast of the Gambian coast, reports confirm.
The vessel capsized in the early hours of Thursday in the vicinity of the village of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was later found "beached on a shoal", the nation's defense ministry announced officially.
Ninety-six people were pulled to safety and a hunt is ongoing for other passengers who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was en route to Spain's Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic Ocean has emerged as a rising pathway for migrants from Africa seeking entry into European nations.
Close to forty-seven thousand migrants made it to the Canaries in the year 2024 and estimates in excess of 9,000 people perished during the journey.
Rescue Operation
After Wednesday's accident, Gambia's naval forces launched a search-and-rescue operation, using a number of military boats and a commercial fishing craft that came to assist, the military reported.
Officials state some of the deceased are foreign nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The bodies of the seven people who perished at sea have been retrieved, and 10 of those rescued are reported to be in critical condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Common Migration Route
This West African nation is a frequent corridor used by migrants seeking to get to the EU, frequently via dangerous journeys over water and land.
Over the past few years, the European Union has established pacts with multiple North African countries aimed at reducing irregular migration.
