A minimum of seven individuals lost their lives and a significant number remain unaccounted for in the wake of a vessel carrying around two hundred migrants seeking to enter the European continent capsized near the shoreline of the Gambian coast, authorities say.
The vessel capsized in the early hours of Thursday in the vicinity of Jinack village in the North Bank area and it was later found "grounded on a sandbank", the nation's defense ministry stated in a release.
96 individuals have been saved to date and a rescue operation continues for the remaining passengers who were on board the sunken boat that was en route to Spain's Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African asylum seekers seeking entry into the EU.
Close to 47,000 people arrived at the Canary Islands in the year 2024 and estimates over 9,000 people have lost their lives trying.
Search and Rescue Efforts
Following the Wednesday incident, The Gambian Navy launched a rescue mission, involving a number of military boats and a commercial fishing craft that came to assist, the defense officials confirmed.
Authorities say a number of those who died are foreign nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The deceased of the seven individuals who died have been retrieved, and 10 of those rescued are reported to be in serious condition and receiving urgent medical care.
An Established Corridor
This West African nation is a frequent corridor taken by migrants attempting to enter Europe, typically through perilous trips across ocean and terrain.
Recently, the European bloc has forged deals with several Maghreb states aimed at curtailing illegal migration.
