No fewer than seven individuals lost their lives and a significant number are lost in the wake of a boat transporting around two hundred migrants attempting to reach the European continent capsized off the coast of The Gambia, authorities say.
The boat overturned on Wednesday midnight close to Jinack in the northern bank region and it was subsequently discovered "beached on a shoal", the Gambian military authorities announced officially.
Nearly one hundred people have been rescued so far and a rescue operation continues for other passengers who were aboard the sunken boat that was en route to the Spanish Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African asylum seekers trying to reach European nations.
Almost 47,000 people reached the Canaries in the year 2024 and figures suggest more than nine thousand individuals have died in the attempt.
Ongoing Mission
In the aftermath of the disaster, the navy initiated a search operation, involving multiple navy ships and a fishing boat that came to assist, the defense officials reported.
Authorities say a number of those who died are foreign nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The bodies of the seven people who died have been retrieved, and a dozen of the saved are said to be in grave health and getting immediate medical attention.
An Established Corridor
This West African nation is a common pathway utilized by migrants seeking to get to the EU, typically through perilous trips by sea and land.
Over the past few years, the European bloc has reached agreements with several North African nations aimed at curtailing irregular migration.
