A minimum of seven individuals lost their lives and numerous others are missing after a vessel carrying approximately two hundred migrants seeking to enter the European continent overturned near the shoreline of Gambia, reports confirm.
The vessel capsized in the early hours of Thursday close to Jinack village in the northern bank region and it was later found "stranded on a sandbar", the country's defence ministry announced officially.
96 individuals have been saved to date and a rescue operation continues for other passengers who were aboard the sunken boat that was bound for Spain's Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African migrants trying to reach Europe.
Almost 47,000 individuals reached the Canary Islands in 2024 and estimates more than 9,000 migrants perished during the journey.
Search and Rescue Efforts
After Wednesday's accident, Gambia's naval forces initiated a search-and-rescue operation, involving a number of military boats and a commercial fishing craft that offered help, the military reported.
Reports indicate a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The deceased of the seven people who perished at sea have been retrieved, and 10 of those rescued are described as being in critical condition and getting immediate medical attention.
A Frequent Pathway
Gambia is one of the routes taken by asylum seekers attempting to enter European countries, often on hazardous voyages across ocean and terrain.
Recently, the EU has established pacts with a number of North African countries with the goal of reducing illegal migration.
