No fewer than seven individuals have died and many others are missing in the wake of a craft transporting around 200 migrants trying to get to Europe capsized off the coast of the Gambian coast, officials state.
The craft flipped in the early hours of Thursday near Jinack village in the North Bank area and it was subsequently discovered "stranded on a sandbar", the country's defence ministry stated in a release.
96 individuals have been rescued so far and a rescue operation continues for the remaining passengers who were traveling on the sunken boat that was heading towards the Spanish Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for migrants from Africa trying to reach Europe.
Almost 47,000 people made it to the Spanish archipelago in 2024 and data indicates over nine thousand individuals have died in the attempt.
Ongoing Mission
In the aftermath of the disaster, The Gambian Navy launched a search operation, involving multiple navy ships and a commercial fishing craft that came to assist, the military confirmed.
Officials state some of the deceased are not from The Gambia and that their identities are still being verified.
The bodies of the seven victims who drowned were found, and a dozen of the saved are said to be in critical condition and receiving urgent medical care.
A Frequent Pathway
This West African nation is a frequent corridor utilized by asylum seekers seeking to get to European countries, frequently via dangerous journeys by sea and land.
Over the past few years, the European Union has reached agreements with a number of North African nations aimed at limiting illegal migration.
