No fewer than seven people lost their lives and many others are lost in the wake of a boat carrying approximately two hundred people attempting to reach the European continent capsized off the coast of The Gambia, authorities say.
The boat overturned on Wednesday midnight near the village of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was later found "beached on a shoal", the nation's defense ministry said in a statement.
Ninety-six people have been saved to date and a hunt is ongoing for the remaining passengers who were aboard the shipwrecked vessel that was bound for Spain's Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African asylum seekers trying to reach the EU.
Nearly 47,000 people made it to the Canary Islands in the year 2024 and data indicates in excess of nine thousand individuals have lost their lives in the attempt.
Ongoing Mission
In the aftermath of the disaster, The Gambian Navy initiated a search operation, using several naval vessels and a fishing boat that came to assist, the defence ministry confirmed.
Officials state a number of those who died are not from The Gambia and that their identities are still being verified.
The deceased of the seven people who drowned have been recovered, and ten of the survivors are said to be in serious condition and receiving urgent medical care.
An Established Corridor
This West African nation is a common pathway taken by migrants trying to reach European countries, often on dangerous journeys across ocean and terrain.
Recently, the European bloc has reached agreements with multiple North African nations aimed at limiting illegal migration.
