No fewer than seven individuals lost their lives and many others are lost in the wake of a craft ferrying approximately 200 migrants trying to get to European shores overturned off the coast of Gambia, authorities say.
The boat overturned on Wednesday midnight near the village of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was afterwards located "grounded on a sandbank", the nation's defense ministry said in a statement.
Nearly one hundred people have been rescued so far and a hunt is ongoing for the remaining passengers who were on board the capsized craft that was en route to Spain's Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic Ocean has emerged as a rising pathway for African asylum seekers seeking entry into the EU.
Close to 47,000 people made it to the Canary Islands in 2024 and data indicates over nine thousand individuals have died in the attempt.
Search and Rescue Efforts
After Wednesday's accident, The Gambian Navy began a search-and-rescue operation, involving several naval vessels and a fishing vessel that joined the effort, the military reported.
Authorities say some of the deceased are not Gambian nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The deceased of the seven victims who drowned were found, and 10 of those rescued are described as being in grave health and receiving urgent medical care.
A Common Migration Route
Gambia is a frequent corridor taken by migrants seeking to get to the EU, frequently via perilous trips over water and land.
Over the past few years, the European bloc has forged deals with several North African countries aimed at limiting undocumented migration.
