A vessel carrying approximately 200 migrants en route to Europe met with tragedy off the coast of The Gambia, resulting in at least seven confirmed fatalities and numerous individuals missing, according to official statements from the country’s defense ministry.
The maritime disaster occurred around midnight on Wednesday near Jinack village in the North Bank Region. The ill-fated boat, which was attempting the perilous Atlantic crossing to Spain’s Canary Islands, subsequently overturned and was discovered stranded on a sandbank.
Search and rescue operations led by The Gambian Navy have successfully recovered 96 survivors thus far, with emergency crews continuing their efforts to locate additional passengers. Ten of those rescued are reported to be in critical condition and receiving urgent medical treatment.
Authorities indicate that several victims are not Gambian nationals, with identification procedures currently underway to establish their nationalities. The rescue mission has deployed multiple naval vessels alongside assistance from local fishing boats.
This tragic incident highlights the increasingly common yet extremely dangerous migration route across the Atlantic Ocean that African migrants undertake in attempts to reach European shores. Official statistics reveal that nearly 47,000 individuals reached the Canary Islands in 2024 alone, while Spanish non-governmental organization Caminando Fronteras estimates that over 9,000 migrants have perished attempting this journey.
The Gambia has emerged as one of the primary transit points for migrants embarking on hazardous sea and land journeys to Europe. In response to growing migration pressures, the European Union has recently established agreements with several North African nations aimed at reducing irregular migration patterns.