A minimum of seven individuals lost their lives and many others are lost in the wake of a craft carrying around 200 people seeking to enter Europe capsized near the shoreline of Gambia, authorities say.
The boat overturned on Wednesday midnight in the vicinity of Jinack village in the North Bank Region and it was afterwards located "stranded on a sandbar", the country's defence ministry announced officially.
Ninety-six people were pulled to safety and a rescue operation continues for those still missing who were aboard the shipwrecked vessel that was heading towards the Spanish Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic Ocean has become an increasingly common route for migrants from Africa seeking entry into the EU.
Close to forty-seven thousand migrants arrived at the Spanish archipelago in the year 2024 and data indicates in excess of nine thousand individuals have died trying.
Search and Rescue Efforts
In the aftermath of the disaster, Gambia's naval forces began a rescue mission, deploying several naval vessels and a commercial fishing craft that came to assist, the military reported.
Reports indicate a number of those who died are not from The Gambia and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The remains of the seven victims who drowned have been recovered, and 10 of those rescued are reported to be in grave health and getting immediate medical attention.
An Established Corridor
The Gambia is a frequent corridor utilized by migrants trying to reach European countries, frequently via dangerous journeys across ocean and terrain.
Recently, the European bloc has forged deals with multiple Maghreb states designed to limiting illegal migration.
