A minimum of seven people have perished and a significant number are missing following a boat transporting about 200 migrants attempting to reach the European continent overturned near the shoreline of the Gambian coast, reports confirm.
The boat overturned late Wednesday night close to the village of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was later found "grounded on a sandbank", the country's defence ministry announced officially.
Ninety-six people were pulled to safety and a search is continuing for other passengers who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was heading towards the Canary Islands of Spain.
The dangerous voyage over the the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African asylum seekers seeking entry into the EU.
Close to forty-seven thousand migrants reached the Canary Islands in 2024 and data indicates over nine thousand individuals perished trying.
Rescue Operation
Following the Wednesday incident, the navy began a rescue mission, deploying several naval vessels and a fishing vessel that joined the effort, the defense officials said.
Reports indicate several of the victims are foreign nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The bodies of the seven people who drowned have been retrieved, and ten of the survivors are reported to be in grave health and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Common Migration Route
The Gambia is a common pathway utilized by asylum seekers seeking to get to European countries, typically through perilous trips across ocean and terrain.
Over the past few years, the EU has forged deals with several North African countries aimed at reducing illegal migration.
