A minimum of seven souls have perished and many others remain unaccounted for in the wake of a craft transporting approximately two hundred migrants seeking to enter European shores sank near the shoreline of Gambia, officials state.
The craft flipped on Wednesday midnight near the village of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was subsequently discovered "beached on a shoal", the nation's defense ministry announced officially.
96 individuals have been saved to date and a rescue operation continues for other passengers who were aboard the capsized craft that was heading towards the Spanish Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic Ocean has grown into a more frequent path for African migrants seeking entry into European nations.
Nearly 47,000 people reached the Spanish archipelago in the year 2024 and estimates more than nine thousand individuals have died during the journey.
Ongoing Mission
Following the Wednesday incident, the navy began a search-and-rescue operation, using a number of military boats and a fishing boat that offered help, the defense officials reported.
Reports indicate a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The bodies of the seven people who drowned have been retrieved, and 10 of those rescued are reported to be in grave health and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Frequent Pathway
Gambia is a frequent corridor utilized by migrants seeking to get to Europe, frequently via dangerous journeys by sea and land.
Over the past few years, the EU has reached agreements with a number of North African nations designed to reducing irregular migration.
