A minimum of seven people have died and a significant number are missing after a boat carrying approximately 200 migrants seeking to enter the European continent overturned off the coast of Gambia, officials state.
The boat overturned in the early hours of Thursday in the vicinity of the village of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was afterwards located "beached on a shoal", the nation's defense ministry said in a statement.
Ninety-six people have been rescued so far and a rescue operation continues for other passengers who were aboard the capsized craft that was heading towards the Canary Islands of Spain.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic Ocean has grown into a more frequent path for African asylum seekers trying to reach European nations.
Close to forty-seven thousand migrants reached the Canaries in the year 2024 and estimates more than 9,000 migrants have lost their lives during the journey.
Rescue Operation
After Wednesday's accident, The Gambian Navy began a rescue mission, using multiple navy ships and a commercial fishing craft that offered help, the defence ministry confirmed.
Authorities say a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The remains of the seven individuals who drowned were found, and a dozen of the saved are said to be in serious condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Frequent Pathway
Gambia is one of the routes taken by asylum seekers seeking to get to Europe, often on dangerous journeys by sea and land.
Recently, the EU has forged deals with several North African nations designed to curtailing illegal migration.
