A minimum of seven individuals have perished and a significant number are missing following a vessel ferrying about two hundred migrants attempting to reach European shores overturned off the coast of Gambia, officials state.
The vessel capsized late Wednesday night close to Jinack village in the North Bank Region and it was later found "stranded on a sandbar", the Gambian military authorities said in a statement.
96 individuals have been saved to date and a rescue operation continues for other passengers who were aboard the sunken boat that was bound for the Canary Islands of Spain.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African migrants attempting to get to the EU.
Close to 47,000 people arrived at the Canary Islands in 2024 and figures suggest more than 9,000 people have died trying.
Search and Rescue Efforts
After Wednesday's accident, the navy began a search-and-rescue operation, involving multiple navy ships and a fishing vessel that came to assist, the defence ministry said.
Officials state a number of those who died are foreign nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The bodies of the seven individuals who perished at sea were found, and a dozen of the saved are said to be in serious condition and getting immediate medical attention.
A Common Migration Route
The Gambia is a frequent corridor taken by asylum seekers seeking to get to Europe, typically through perilous trips by sea and land.
Recently, the EU has reached agreements with multiple North African nations aimed at limiting illegal migration.
