No fewer than seven individuals have perished and numerous others are lost in the wake of a craft ferrying about 200 migrants seeking to enter European shores capsized off the coast of the Gambian coast, authorities say.
The vessel capsized on Wednesday midnight in the vicinity of Jinack village in the North Bank area and it was subsequently discovered "stranded on a sandbar", the Gambian military authorities stated in a release.
96 individuals were pulled to safety and a search is continuing for the remaining passengers who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was en route to the Canary Islands of Spain.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African migrants trying to reach Europe.
Nearly 47,000 individuals reached the Canary Islands in 2024 and estimates more than nine thousand individuals have lost their lives during the journey.
Rescue Operation
Following the Wednesday incident, the navy initiated a rescue mission, using multiple navy ships and a commercial fishing craft that came to assist, the defence ministry reported.
Authorities say some of the deceased are not from The Gambia and that their details are still being checked.
The deceased of the seven victims who perished at sea have been recovered, 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 attempting to enter European countries, typically through dangerous journeys by sea and land.
In recent years, the European Union has reached agreements with a number of North African countries designed to limiting illegal migration.
