At least seven individuals have died and a significant number are missing after a boat transporting approximately 200 migrants attempting to reach the European continent sank off the coast of the Gambian coast, reports confirm.
The boat overturned on Wednesday midnight close to Jinack in the North Bank area and it was later found "stranded on a sandbar", the nation's defense ministry announced officially.
Nearly one hundred people were pulled to safety and a hunt is ongoing for those still missing who were on board the shipwrecked vessel that was heading towards Spain's Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African asylum seekers seeking entry into European nations.
Close to forty-seven thousand migrants made it to the Canary Islands in the year 2024 and figures suggest in excess of 9,000 people perished during the journey.
Search and Rescue Efforts
After Wednesday's accident, Gambia's naval forces initiated a search operation, deploying a number of military boats and a fishing boat that offered help, the defence ministry reported.
Authorities say several of the victims are not Gambian nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The deceased of the seven victims who died have been retrieved, and ten of the survivors are said to be in grave health and undergoing emergency treatment.
An Established Corridor
Gambia is a frequent corridor used by migrants attempting to enter Europe, often on dangerous journeys across ocean and terrain.
Over the past few years, the European Union has reached agreements with multiple North African nations designed to reducing illegal migration.
