No fewer than seven people have perished and numerous others are missing after a vessel transporting about 200 migrants trying to get to the European continent capsized off the coast of the Gambian coast, authorities say.
The craft flipped late Wednesday night in the vicinity of Jinack village in the North Bank area and it was subsequently discovered "grounded on a sandbank", the nation's defense ministry announced officially.
96 individuals have been rescued so far and a rescue operation continues for those still missing who were aboard the capsized craft that was heading towards Spain's Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for migrants from Africa seeking entry into Europe.
Nearly forty-seven thousand migrants arrived at the Canaries in the year 2024 and figures suggest more than 9,000 people have died during the journey.
Search and Rescue Efforts
After Wednesday's accident, The Gambian Navy began a search-and-rescue operation, involving several naval vessels and a commercial fishing craft that joined the effort, the defence ministry said.
Officials state some of the deceased are foreign nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The bodies of the seven individuals who died were found, and 10 of those rescued are reported to be in grave health and getting immediate medical attention.
A Frequent Pathway
The Gambia is a frequent corridor utilized by migrants attempting to enter the EU, often on perilous trips over water and land.
Over the past few years, the European Union has reached agreements with a number of North African countries designed to curtailing illegal migration.
