At least seven people lost their lives and many others are missing following a boat transporting around two hundred people seeking to enter Europe sank near the shoreline of The Gambia, reports confirm.
The craft flipped on Wednesday midnight close to Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was afterwards located "stranded on a sandbar", the nation's defense ministry announced officially.
Ninety-six people have been rescued so far and a rescue operation continues for those still missing who were aboard the capsized craft that was bound for the Canary Islands of Spain.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African migrants trying to reach European nations.
Nearly 47,000 individuals made it to the Spanish archipelago in 2024 and estimates over nine thousand individuals have died in the attempt.
Ongoing Mission
After Wednesday's accident, the navy began a search operation, using a number of military boats and a commercial fishing craft that joined the effort, the military said.
Reports indicate a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The bodies of the seven victims who perished at sea have been recovered, and ten of the survivors are described as being in serious condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
An Established Corridor
Gambia is a common pathway taken by asylum seekers attempting to enter the EU, frequently via hazardous voyages across ocean and terrain.
Over the past few years, the European bloc has established pacts with several North African countries with the goal of reducing undocumented migration.
