No fewer than seven souls have perished and numerous others remain unaccounted for after a craft ferrying about 200 migrants trying to get to Europe sank in waters near The Gambia, reports confirm.
The boat overturned late Wednesday night close to Jinack village in the northern bank region and it was later found "stranded on a sandbar", the country's defence ministry said in a statement.
Nearly one hundred people have been saved to date and a search is continuing for the remaining passengers who were traveling on the sunken boat that was bound for the Canary Islands of Spain.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African migrants seeking entry into Europe.
Almost 47,000 people made it to the Spanish archipelago in 2024 and estimates more than 9,000 people have died during the journey.
Search and Rescue Efforts
In the aftermath of the disaster, Gambia's naval forces launched a search-and-rescue operation, involving a number of military boats and a fishing boat that offered help, the military said.
Authorities say a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The deceased of the seven people who perished at sea have been recovered, and 10 of those rescued are said to be in serious condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
An Established Corridor
The Gambia is a common pathway utilized by migrants attempting to enter Europe, often on dangerous journeys across ocean and terrain.
Over the past few years, the European bloc has reached agreements with multiple North African countries designed to limiting illegal migration.
