At least seven people have died and many others are missing after a boat carrying about 200 migrants attempting to reach Europe capsized off the coast of The Gambia, authorities say.
The boat overturned on Wednesday midnight near Jinack village in the North Bank Region and was later found grounded on a sandbank, according to the country's defense ministry.
Ninety-six people have been rescued so far, while a search is ongoing for other passengers who were aboard the shipwrecked vessel that was heading towards Spain's Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic Ocean has increasingly become a common route for African migrants trying to reach Europe.
In 2024, nearly 47,000 people reached the Canary Islands, with Spanish NGO Caminando Fronteras estimating that over 9,000 migrants have died trying.
Following Wednesday's incident, The Gambian Navy launched a search-and-rescue operation, utilizing several naval vessels and a fishing boat that responded to assist, the defense ministry reported.
Authorities revealed that several victims are not Gambian nationals, and their identities are still being verified. The bodies of seven victims who drowned have been recovered, with ten of those rescued reported to be in critical condition and receiving urgent medical care.
The Gambia remains a route for migrants seeking to reach Europe, often embarking on dangerous sea and land journeys. The European Union has made efforts in recent years to reach agreements with North African countries to reduce irregular migration.
