A minimum of seven people have died and a significant number are lost after a boat transporting about two hundred migrants trying to get to the European continent overturned in waters near The Gambia, authorities say.
The craft flipped on Wednesday midnight near Jinack in the northern bank region and it was afterwards located "grounded on a sandbank", the nation's defense ministry announced officially.
96 individuals were pulled to safety and a rescue operation continues for other passengers who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was bound for the Canary Islands of Spain.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African migrants seeking entry into Europe.
Close to forty-seven thousand migrants arrived at the Canary Islands in the year 2024 and estimates over nine thousand individuals perished during the journey.
Rescue Operation
After Wednesday's accident, Gambia's naval forces launched a search-and-rescue operation, involving multiple navy ships and a commercial fishing craft that joined the effort, the defense officials reported.
Reports indicate a number of those who died are foreign nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The deceased of the seven individuals who died were found, and 10 of those rescued are described as being in grave health and getting immediate medical attention.
A Common Migration Route
The Gambia is a common pathway taken by migrants trying to reach the EU, frequently via perilous trips over water and land.
Recently, the EU has reached agreements with multiple Maghreb states designed to reducing irregular migration.
