A minimum of seven individuals have perished and many others are lost after a craft transporting approximately two hundred migrants attempting to reach Europe overturned in waters near The Gambia, officials state.
The vessel capsized late Wednesday night near Jinack in the North Bank area and it was afterwards located "grounded on a sandbank", the Gambian military authorities stated in a release.
96 individuals have been saved to date and a hunt is ongoing for those still missing who were aboard the capsized craft that was heading towards the Spanish Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic Ocean has emerged as a rising pathway for African migrants attempting to get to European nations.
Close to 47,000 people made it to the Canary Islands in 2024 and estimates over nine thousand individuals have lost their lives in the attempt.
Search and Rescue Efforts
Following the Wednesday incident, The Gambian Navy launched a search operation, using a number of military boats and a fishing vessel that offered help, the defense officials said.
Officials state a number of those who died are not from The Gambia and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The remains of the seven people who drowned have been retrieved, and a dozen of the saved are said to be in grave health and getting immediate medical attention.
A Common Migration Route
The Gambia is one of the routes used by migrants seeking to get to the EU, frequently via hazardous voyages over water and land.
In recent years, the European bloc has forged deals with several Maghreb states designed to reducing irregular migration.
