A minimum of seven individuals have died and a significant number remain unaccounted for following a craft ferrying approximately 200 people trying to get to European shores sank in waters near The Gambia, authorities say.
The craft flipped late Wednesday night in the vicinity of Jinack village in the North Bank Region and it was afterwards located "grounded on a sandbank", the country's defence ministry said in a statement.
Nearly one hundred people have been rescued so far and a hunt is ongoing for those still missing who were aboard the sunken boat that was en route to Spain's Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African asylum seekers seeking entry into Europe.
Almost 47,000 individuals reached the Canary Islands in the year 2024 and figures suggest in excess of nine thousand individuals have died trying.
Search and Rescue Efforts
Following the Wednesday incident, the navy began a rescue mission, using multiple navy ships and a fishing boat that came to assist, the defense officials said.
Officials state some of the deceased are not from The Gambia and that their identities are still being verified.
The deceased of the seven people who drowned were found, and ten of the survivors are reported to be in grave health and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Frequent Pathway
The Gambia is a common pathway utilized by asylum seekers attempting to enter the EU, frequently via dangerous journeys by sea and land.
Over the past few years, the European Union has established pacts with multiple Maghreb states designed to reducing illegal migration.
