At least seven individuals have perished and a significant number remain unaccounted for in the wake of a boat ferrying about two hundred people trying to get to the European continent sank near the shoreline of Gambia, reports confirm.
The vessel capsized on Wednesday midnight close to the village of Jinack in the North Bank area and it was afterwards located "grounded on a sandbank", the Gambian military authorities stated in a release.
Nearly one hundred people have been saved to date and a hunt is ongoing for the remaining passengers who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was bound for the Canary Islands of Spain.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African migrants attempting to get to the EU.
Close to 47,000 people reached the Canary Islands in the year 2024 and estimates in excess of 9,000 people perished during the journey.
Ongoing Mission
After Wednesday's accident, the navy began a search operation, involving multiple navy ships and a fishing vessel that came to assist, the military reported.
Authorities say some of the deceased are not Gambian nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The bodies of the seven people who died have been retrieved, and 10 of those rescued are said to be in grave health and receiving urgent medical care.
A Frequent Pathway
Gambia is a frequent corridor utilized by migrants trying to reach the EU, frequently via perilous trips across ocean and terrain.
Recently, the EU has established pacts with multiple North African countries aimed at reducing irregular migration.
