A minimum of seven people have died and numerous others remain unaccounted for following a boat carrying around 200 migrants seeking to enter Europe capsized off the coast of Gambia, authorities say.
The craft flipped in the early hours of Thursday close to the village of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was subsequently discovered "stranded on a sandbar", the nation's defense ministry stated in a release.
96 individuals have been rescued so far and a hunt is ongoing for the remaining passengers who were aboard the sunken boat that was en route to Spain's Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African asylum seekers seeking entry into European nations.
Close to forty-seven thousand migrants arrived at the Canaries in 2024 and data indicates over nine thousand individuals have died in the attempt.
Search and Rescue Efforts
Following the Wednesday incident, Gambia's naval forces began a search operation, using a number of military boats and a fishing boat that came to assist, the defense officials said.
Reports indicate a number of those who died are not from The Gambia and that their identities are still being verified.
The bodies of the seven victims who perished at sea have been recovered, and ten of the survivors are reported to be in grave health and receiving urgent medical care.
A Frequent Pathway
The Gambia is a common pathway used by migrants attempting to enter Europe, typically through dangerous journeys by sea and land.
In recent years, the European bloc has forged deals with multiple North African countries designed to limiting irregular migration.
