A minimum of seven souls have perished and a significant number are missing following a vessel carrying approximately two hundred migrants attempting to reach Europe capsized near the shoreline of Gambia, authorities say.
The craft flipped in the early hours of Thursday near Jinack village in the North Bank Region and it was subsequently discovered "beached on a shoal", the country's defence ministry announced officially.
96 individuals have been saved to date and a rescue operation continues for the remaining passengers who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was heading towards Spain's Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic Ocean has become an increasingly common route for African asylum seekers seeking entry into European nations.
Almost 47,000 people made it to the Canary Islands in 2024 and estimates more than 9,000 migrants perished during the journey.
Rescue Operation
In the aftermath of the disaster, Gambia's naval forces initiated a search operation, using multiple navy ships and a commercial fishing craft that came to assist, the defence ministry said.
Officials state a number of those who died are not from The Gambia and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The bodies of the seven people who drowned have been recovered, and ten of the survivors are reported to be in grave health and undergoing emergency treatment.
An Established Corridor
This West African nation is a common pathway utilized by asylum seekers trying to reach European countries, frequently via perilous trips over water and land.
Recently, the EU has established pacts with a number of Maghreb states aimed at limiting illegal migration.
