No fewer than seven people have perished and many others are missing following a boat transporting approximately two hundred people trying to get to European shores overturned near the shoreline of Gambia, officials state.
The craft flipped late Wednesday night close to Jinack village in the North Bank Region and it was later found "beached on a shoal", the country's defence ministry said in a statement.
Nearly one hundred people were pulled to safety and a hunt is ongoing for other passengers who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was bound for Spain's Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African asylum seekers attempting to get to Europe.
Almost 47,000 people made it to the Canaries in 2024 and data indicates in excess of nine thousand individuals perished during the journey.
Rescue Operation
In the aftermath of the disaster, the navy launched a search operation, involving a number of military boats and a fishing boat that offered help, the defense officials said.
Officials state some of the deceased are foreign nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The remains of the seven victims who died have been recovered, and 10 of those rescued are reported to be in grave health and getting immediate medical attention.
A Common Migration Route
Gambia is a common pathway used by migrants trying to reach Europe, frequently via perilous trips by sea and land.
In recent years, the European Union has reached agreements with a number of Maghreb states with the goal of limiting illegal migration.
