A minimum of seven individuals have died and a significant number are lost in the wake of a boat carrying about two hundred people trying to get to Europe sank off the coast of The Gambia, reports confirm.
The craft flipped in the early hours of Thursday in the vicinity of Jinack village in the northern bank region and it was later found "grounded on a sandbank", the country's defence ministry said in a statement.
Nearly one hundred people were pulled to safety and a rescue operation continues for the remaining passengers who were traveling on the capsized craft that was en route to the Spanish Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African asylum seekers attempting to get to Europe.
Almost forty-seven thousand migrants arrived at the Spanish archipelago in the year 2024 and estimates more than 9,000 migrants have died in the attempt.
Ongoing Mission
Following the Wednesday incident, the navy began a search-and-rescue operation, involving multiple navy ships and a commercial fishing craft that came to assist, the defense officials confirmed.
Officials state a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The deceased of the seven people who drowned have been recovered, and a dozen of the saved are said to be in grave health and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Common Migration Route
The Gambia is a frequent corridor used by migrants seeking to get to the EU, frequently via dangerous journeys over water and land.
In recent years, the EU has forged deals with a number of Maghreb states aimed at limiting undocumented migration.
