A minimum of seven individuals lost their lives and a significant number remain unaccounted for in the wake of a vessel ferrying about 200 people seeking to enter European shores capsized near the shoreline of the Gambian coast, authorities say.
The vessel capsized on Wednesday midnight near Jinack in the North Bank area and it was afterwards located "beached on a shoal", the nation's defense ministry stated in a release.
Ninety-six people were pulled to safety and a rescue operation continues for the remaining passengers who were on board the sunken boat that was heading towards Spain's Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic Ocean has grown into a more frequent path for migrants from Africa attempting to get to European nations.
Nearly 47,000 individuals arrived at the Spanish archipelago in the year 2024 and figures suggest over 9,000 migrants have lost their lives during the journey.
Search and Rescue Efforts
In the aftermath of the disaster, The Gambian Navy began a rescue mission, involving several naval vessels and a fishing vessel that joined the effort, the military confirmed.
Reports indicate some of the deceased are foreign nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The bodies of the seven people who drowned were found, and 10 of those rescued are described as being in critical condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
An Established Corridor
The Gambia is a frequent corridor taken by asylum seekers seeking to get to Europe, typically through hazardous voyages by sea and land.
Recently, the European bloc has forged deals with a number of Maghreb states aimed at limiting undocumented migration.
