At least seven individuals have perished and many others are lost after a boat transporting about 200 people attempting to reach European shores sank near the shoreline of The Gambia, officials state.
The boat overturned on Wednesday midnight close to Jinack village in the North Bank area and it was later found "stranded on a sandbar", the country's defence ministry stated in a release.
Nearly one hundred people were pulled to safety and a hunt is ongoing for other passengers who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was en route to the Spanish Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic Ocean has become an increasingly common route for African migrants attempting to get to the EU.
Nearly 47,000 individuals made it to the Canaries in the year 2024 and figures suggest more than 9,000 people perished during the journey.
Rescue Operation
Following the Wednesday incident, Gambia's naval forces initiated a rescue mission, deploying several naval vessels and a fishing vessel that offered help, the defense officials reported.
Reports indicate several of the victims are foreign nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The deceased of the seven individuals who drowned were found, and ten of the survivors are reported to be in grave health and receiving urgent medical care.
A Common Migration Route
Gambia is one of the routes taken by asylum seekers seeking to get to the EU, often on perilous trips over water and land.
Recently, the European Union has forged deals with a number of North African nations aimed at curtailing irregular migration.
