At least seven people have died and numerous others are missing after a boat carrying around 200 migrants trying to get to European shores overturned near the shoreline of Gambia, authorities say.
The boat overturned in the early hours of Thursday close to Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was afterwards located "beached on a shoal", the country's defence ministry announced officially.
Nearly one hundred people have been saved to date and a search is continuing for other passengers who were on board the sunken boat that was en route to Spain's Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for migrants from Africa attempting to get to European nations.
Close to 47,000 people reached the Spanish archipelago in 2024 and figures suggest over 9,000 migrants have died trying.
Ongoing Mission
Following the Wednesday incident, Gambia's naval forces began a search-and-rescue operation, deploying a number of military boats and a fishing vessel that offered help, the defense officials said.
Officials state some of the deceased are not Gambian nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The deceased of the seven individuals who perished at sea have been recovered, and ten of the survivors are described as being in serious condition and getting immediate medical attention.
A Common Migration Route
This West African nation is a common pathway utilized by migrants seeking to get to Europe, typically through hazardous voyages by sea and land.
Over the past few years, the EU has reached agreements with several North African countries aimed at curtailing undocumented migration.
