A minimum of seven souls have died and a significant number remain unaccounted for in the wake of a craft carrying about two hundred people attempting to reach European shores capsized near the shoreline of the Gambian coast, reports confirm.
The vessel capsized late Wednesday night near Jinack village in the North Bank area and it was subsequently discovered "beached on a shoal", the country's defence ministry announced officially.
96 individuals have been rescued so far and a hunt is ongoing for other passengers who were aboard the shipwrecked vessel that was en route to the Spanish Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African asylum seekers seeking entry into the EU.
Close to forty-seven thousand migrants reached the Spanish archipelago in 2024 and figures suggest over nine thousand individuals perished in the attempt.
Search and Rescue Efforts
Following the Wednesday incident, The Gambian Navy began a search-and-rescue operation, deploying a number of military boats and a fishing boat that came to assist, the defence ministry reported.
Officials state several of the victims are foreign nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The bodies of the seven individuals who perished at sea have been retrieved, and ten of the survivors are said to be in critical condition and getting immediate medical attention.
A Common Migration Route
Gambia is a frequent corridor utilized by migrants trying to reach Europe, frequently via dangerous journeys over water and land.
In recent years, the European bloc has established pacts with multiple North African nations designed to reducing illegal migration.
