No fewer than seven souls have perished and a significant number remain unaccounted for in the wake of a vessel carrying about 200 migrants seeking to enter European shores overturned off the coast of The Gambia, reports confirm.
The boat overturned in the early hours of Thursday in the vicinity of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was later found "grounded on a sandbank", the country's defence ministry stated in a release.
96 individuals have been rescued so far and a search is continuing for those still missing who were traveling on the capsized craft that was en route to the Spanish Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for migrants from Africa attempting to get to European nations.
Nearly forty-seven thousand migrants arrived at the Canaries in 2024 and estimates over 9,000 people have lost their lives in the attempt.
Search and Rescue Efforts
In the aftermath of the disaster, The Gambian Navy initiated a rescue mission, using multiple navy ships and a commercial fishing craft that offered help, the military reported.
Reports indicate a number of those who died are foreign nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The remains of the seven victims who drowned were found, and ten of the survivors are said to be in critical condition and receiving urgent medical care.
An Established Corridor
Gambia is a common pathway utilized by migrants seeking to get to Europe, often on perilous trips over water and land.
Recently, the EU has forged deals with multiple Maghreb states with the goal of curtailing irregular migration.
