No fewer than seven souls lost their lives and many others remain unaccounted for following a boat carrying around 200 migrants trying to get to Europe sank off the coast of the Gambian coast, officials state.
The boat overturned on Wednesday midnight in the vicinity of Jinack village in the northern bank region and it was subsequently discovered "grounded on a sandbank", the nation's defense ministry stated in a release.
Nearly one hundred people have been saved to date and a hunt is ongoing for those still missing who were aboard the sunken boat that was heading towards Spain's Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African migrants attempting to get to the EU.
Close to forty-seven thousand migrants made it to the Canaries in the year 2024 and estimates in excess of 9,000 people have lost their lives trying.
Rescue Operation
Following the Wednesday incident, Gambia's naval forces began a rescue mission, involving multiple navy ships and a fishing boat that came to assist, the military reported.
Officials state a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The deceased of the seven victims who drowned have been retrieved, and a dozen of the saved are described as being in grave health and getting immediate medical attention.
A Common Migration Route
Gambia is a frequent corridor used by migrants trying to reach European countries, frequently via dangerous journeys over water and land.
Recently, the European bloc has forged deals with a number of North African nations aimed at reducing illegal migration.
