No fewer than seven individuals lost their lives and many others are lost following a boat transporting about 200 people seeking to enter European shores capsized off the coast of The Gambia, reports confirm.
The craft flipped late Wednesday night in the vicinity of the village of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was later found "stranded on a sandbar", the country's defence ministry announced officially.
Ninety-six people have been saved to date and a rescue operation continues for those still missing who were traveling on the capsized craft that was en route to the Canary Islands of Spain.
The hazardous trip over the the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for migrants from Africa trying to reach European nations.
Almost 47,000 people made it to the Spanish archipelago in 2024 and estimates more than 9,000 migrants have died in the attempt.
Rescue Operation
After Wednesday's accident, The Gambian Navy launched a search operation, involving multiple navy ships and a commercial fishing craft that offered help, the defense officials confirmed.
Officials state some of the deceased are not Gambian nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The remains of the seven individuals who died have been recovered, and a dozen of the saved are described as being in grave health and receiving urgent medical care.
An Established Corridor
Gambia is one of the routes used by migrants trying to reach European countries, frequently via hazardous voyages over water and land.
Over the past few years, the European Union has reached agreements with multiple North African countries designed to limiting illegal migration.
