No fewer than seven souls lost their lives and many others remain unaccounted for in the wake of a craft transporting about 200 people seeking to enter the European continent sank off the coast of The Gambia, reports confirm.
The boat overturned in the early hours of Thursday in the vicinity of Jinack village in the northern bank region and it was later found "stranded on a sandbar", the nation's defense ministry stated in a release.
96 individuals were pulled to safety and a rescue operation continues for the remaining passengers who were traveling on the sunken boat that was en route to the Canary Islands of Spain.
The perilous journey over the the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African migrants seeking entry into European nations.
Nearly forty-seven thousand migrants made it to the Canary Islands in 2024 and data indicates over nine thousand individuals have lost their lives during the journey.
Rescue Operation
In the aftermath of the disaster, Gambia's naval forces launched a rescue mission, deploying multiple navy ships and a fishing boat that offered help, the military reported.
Reports indicate several of the victims are not from The Gambia and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The bodies of the seven victims who died have been retrieved, and a dozen of the saved are said to be in critical condition and getting immediate medical attention.
An Established Corridor
The Gambia is a frequent corridor taken by migrants trying to reach European countries, typically through hazardous voyages across ocean and terrain.
Over the past few years, the European bloc has established pacts with multiple North African countries aimed at reducing irregular migration.
