No fewer than seven people have died and many others remain unaccounted for following a boat transporting approximately 200 people trying to get to Europe capsized near the shoreline of the Gambian coast, reports confirm.
The vessel capsized on Wednesday midnight near Jinack village in the North Bank area and it was afterwards located "beached on a shoal", the Gambian military authorities said in a statement.
96 individuals were pulled to safety and a rescue operation continues for those still missing who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was en route to Spain's Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African asylum seekers seeking entry into the EU.
Nearly 47,000 individuals reached the Canary Islands in 2024 and estimates more than 9,000 people have died during the journey.
Search and Rescue Efforts
Following the Wednesday incident, the navy began a search-and-rescue operation, deploying multiple navy ships and a fishing vessel that joined the effort, the defense officials reported.
Officials state a number of those who died are foreign nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The remains of the seven victims who died have been retrieved, and ten of the survivors are said to be in serious condition and getting immediate medical attention.
A Common Migration Route
The Gambia is one of the routes utilized by asylum seekers attempting to enter Europe, frequently via dangerous journeys over water and land.
Over the past few years, the EU has established pacts with multiple North African nations aimed at reducing undocumented migration.
