No fewer than seven people lost their lives and a significant number are lost following a boat ferrying around 200 migrants trying to get to Europe capsized near the shoreline of The Gambia, reports confirm.
The vessel capsized late Wednesday night in the vicinity of Jinack village in the North Bank Region and it was subsequently discovered "beached on a shoal", the country's defence ministry said in a statement.
96 individuals were pulled to safety and a hunt is ongoing for other passengers who were on board the sunken boat that was en route to the Canary Islands of Spain.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic Ocean has grown into a more frequent path for African asylum seekers attempting to get to Europe.
Nearly forty-seven thousand migrants arrived at the Spanish archipelago in 2024 and data indicates in excess of nine thousand individuals have lost their lives in the attempt.
Ongoing Mission
Following the Wednesday incident, the navy initiated a search operation, involving a number of military boats and a fishing vessel that offered help, the defense officials reported.
Reports indicate some of the deceased are not Gambian nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The deceased of the seven victims who drowned have been retrieved, and ten of the survivors are said to be in grave health and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Frequent Pathway
This West African nation is one of the routes used by migrants attempting to enter the EU, often on perilous trips across ocean and terrain.
Recently, the European Union has forged deals with a number of North African countries with the goal of limiting undocumented migration.
