At least seven souls lost their lives and numerous others remain unaccounted for in the wake of a boat transporting approximately 200 migrants attempting to reach European shores sank near the shoreline of the Gambian coast, reports confirm.
The craft flipped on Wednesday midnight close to the village of Jinack in the North Bank area and it was later found "stranded on a sandbar", the Gambian military authorities stated in a release.
Ninety-six people have been rescued so far and a hunt is ongoing for the remaining passengers who were traveling on the sunken boat that was en route to the Canary Islands of Spain.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic Ocean has emerged as a rising pathway for migrants from Africa attempting to get to Europe.
Close to forty-seven thousand migrants reached the Canaries in the year 2024 and figures suggest over 9,000 migrants have lost their lives trying.
Search and Rescue Efforts
After Wednesday's accident, the navy began a search-and-rescue operation, using a number of military boats and a commercial fishing craft that joined the effort, the defence ministry reported.
Authorities say a number of those who died are foreign nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The deceased of the seven victims who perished at sea were found, and ten of the survivors are reported to be in grave health and undergoing emergency treatment.
An Established Corridor
Gambia is a frequent corridor taken by migrants trying to reach European countries, typically through hazardous voyages by sea and land.
In recent years, the EU has reached agreements with a number of North African countries with the goal of curtailing irregular migration.
