A minimum of seven people lost their lives and numerous others are missing following a vessel transporting about two hundred people attempting to reach European shores sank off the coast of The Gambia, reports confirm.
The craft flipped on Wednesday midnight near Jinack village in the North Bank Region and it was later found "stranded on a sandbar", the country's defence ministry announced officially.
96 individuals have been rescued so far and a search is continuing for the remaining passengers who were aboard the capsized craft that was bound for the Spanish Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African asylum seekers trying to reach European nations.
Nearly 47,000 people reached the Canaries in 2024 and data indicates in excess of 9,000 people have died during the journey.
Search and Rescue Efforts
After Wednesday's accident, the navy launched a search operation, deploying multiple navy ships and a commercial fishing craft that came to assist, the defense officials confirmed.
Authorities say a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The deceased of the seven individuals who died were found, and 10 of those rescued are reported to be in serious condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Frequent Pathway
This West African nation is a frequent corridor taken by migrants seeking to get to the EU, frequently via hazardous voyages over water and land.
In recent years, the EU has reached agreements with several North African nations designed to curtailing illegal migration.
