No fewer than seven people lost their lives and a significant number are missing following a craft transporting about 200 migrants trying to get to the European continent sank near the shoreline of The Gambia, reports confirm.
The craft flipped late Wednesday night near Jinack in the North Bank area and it was afterwards located "grounded on a sandbank", the nation's defense ministry said in a statement.
Nearly one hundred people were pulled to safety and a rescue operation continues for the remaining passengers who were on board the sunken boat that was bound for the Canary Islands of Spain.
The hazardous trip over the the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for migrants from Africa trying to reach Europe.
Close to 47,000 people arrived at the Spanish archipelago in the year 2024 and figures suggest over 9,000 migrants perished during the journey.
Rescue Operation
In the aftermath of the disaster, The Gambian Navy began a search operation, deploying several naval vessels and a fishing boat that came to assist, the defense officials confirmed.
Reports indicate some of the deceased are foreign nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The deceased of the seven people who died have been retrieved, and a dozen of the saved are described as being in grave health and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Common Migration Route
The Gambia is a frequent corridor used by migrants trying to reach European countries, often on hazardous voyages over water and land.
Recently, the European bloc has established pacts with multiple Maghreb states with the goal of curtailing illegal migration.
