A minimum of seven individuals lost their lives and a significant number are missing following a boat carrying approximately 200 migrants attempting to reach the European continent capsized in waters near the Gambian coast, reports confirm.
The vessel capsized late Wednesday night in the vicinity of Jinack village in the northern bank region and it was subsequently discovered "stranded on a sandbar", the Gambian military authorities stated in a release.
Nearly one hundred people were pulled to safety and a search is continuing for those still missing who were aboard the shipwrecked vessel that was heading towards Spain's Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for migrants from Africa attempting to get to European nations.
Almost forty-seven thousand migrants arrived at the Canaries in the year 2024 and figures suggest more than 9,000 migrants perished trying.
Ongoing Mission
In the aftermath of the disaster, Gambia's naval forces initiated a rescue mission, using several naval vessels and a commercial fishing craft that came to assist, the defense officials confirmed.
Reports indicate several of the victims are not from The Gambia and that their details are still being checked.
The bodies of the seven people who drowned were found, and 10 of those rescued are described as being in serious condition and receiving urgent medical care.
A Frequent Pathway
This West African nation is one of the routes taken by migrants seeking to get to the EU, often on hazardous voyages by sea and land.
Over the past few years, the European Union has reached agreements with a number of Maghreb states designed to curtailing irregular migration.
