No fewer than seven individuals have perished and many others are lost following a vessel carrying about two hundred people attempting to reach the European continent overturned in waters near the Gambian coast, officials state.
The boat overturned late Wednesday night close to the village of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was later found "beached on a shoal", the Gambian military authorities said in a statement.
96 individuals have been rescued so far and a rescue operation continues for other passengers who were aboard the shipwrecked vessel that was en route to Spain's Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African asylum seekers trying to reach Europe.
Close to 47,000 individuals reached the Canary Islands in the year 2024 and data indicates in excess of nine thousand individuals perished in the attempt.
Ongoing Mission
Following the Wednesday incident, The Gambian Navy launched a search-and-rescue operation, involving a number of military boats and a commercial fishing craft that came to assist, the defense officials confirmed.
Reports indicate some of the deceased are foreign nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The deceased of the seven victims who died have been retrieved, and 10 of those rescued are described as being in grave health and getting immediate medical attention.
A Common Migration Route
The Gambia is a frequent corridor utilized by asylum seekers trying to reach the EU, often on perilous trips by sea and land.
Over the past few years, the EU has forged deals with several Maghreb states with the goal of curtailing illegal migration.
