At least seven individuals have perished and numerous others are lost in the wake of a boat carrying about 200 migrants attempting to reach Europe sank off the coast of The Gambia, authorities say.
The boat overturned in the early hours of Thursday close to the village of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was subsequently discovered "stranded on a sandbar", the Gambian military authorities said in a statement.
Nearly one hundred people have been rescued so far and a search is continuing for those still missing who were traveling on the sunken boat that was bound for Spain's Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African migrants attempting to get to Europe.
Close to forty-seven thousand migrants reached the Canaries in the year 2024 and estimates more than 9,000 people have died trying.
Search and Rescue Efforts
In the aftermath of the disaster, the navy launched a search operation, involving several naval vessels and a commercial fishing craft that offered help, the defence ministry said.
Reports indicate some of the deceased are not from The Gambia and that their identities are still being verified.
The deceased of the seven victims who died have been recovered, and 10 of those rescued are said to be in grave health and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Frequent Pathway
Gambia is one of the routes utilized by migrants seeking to get to Europe, typically through dangerous journeys over water and land.
In recent years, the European bloc has established pacts with multiple Maghreb states designed to limiting illegal migration.
