At least seven individuals lost their lives and numerous others are lost in the wake of a boat ferrying around two hundred migrants trying to get to Europe sank near the shoreline of The Gambia, reports confirm.
The craft flipped in the early hours of Thursday in the vicinity of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was afterwards located "stranded on a sandbar", the country's defence ministry said in a statement.
Nearly one hundred people have been rescued so far and a rescue operation continues for those still missing who were on board the sunken boat that was en route to the Spanish Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic Ocean has grown into a more frequent path for African migrants attempting to get to Europe.
Almost 47,000 people made it to the Canaries in the year 2024 and estimates more than 9,000 people have died trying.
Search and Rescue Efforts
In the aftermath of the disaster, Gambia's naval forces began a search operation, involving several naval vessels and a commercial fishing craft that joined the effort, the military said.
Reports indicate a number of those who died are not from The Gambia and that their details are still being checked.
The deceased of the seven individuals who died have been recovered, and a dozen of the saved are reported to be in grave health and getting immediate medical attention.
An Established Corridor
The Gambia is a common pathway used by migrants attempting to enter Europe, often on hazardous voyages across ocean and terrain.
Recently, the European Union has established pacts with several North African nations with the goal of curtailing irregular migration.
