At least seven souls have perished and a significant number are lost after a craft carrying approximately 200 people seeking to enter the European continent overturned off the coast of Gambia, reports confirm.
The vessel capsized late Wednesday night near Jinack village in the North Bank area and it was afterwards located "grounded on a sandbank", the nation's defense ministry stated in a release.
96 individuals have been saved to date and a hunt is ongoing for those still missing who were on board the capsized craft that was bound for the Canary Islands of Spain.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African migrants trying to reach European nations.
Close to 47,000 people reached the Canaries in the year 2024 and estimates over 9,000 migrants perished trying.
Search and Rescue Efforts
In the aftermath of the disaster, The Gambian Navy began a rescue mission, deploying a number of military boats and a fishing vessel that joined the effort, the defense officials said.
Officials state some of the deceased are foreign nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The deceased of the seven victims who drowned have been retrieved, and ten of the survivors are reported to be in critical condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
An Established Corridor
Gambia is a frequent corridor utilized by migrants trying to reach European countries, often on hazardous voyages across ocean and terrain.
In recent years, the European bloc has established pacts with multiple North African nations designed to reducing illegal migration.
