No fewer than seven souls have died and a significant number remain unaccounted for following a craft carrying about 200 people seeking to enter the European continent capsized near the shoreline of Gambia, officials state.
The vessel capsized on Wednesday midnight in the vicinity of Jinack in the North Bank area and it was afterwards located "beached on a shoal", the nation's defense ministry said in a statement.
Ninety-six people have been rescued so far and a hunt is ongoing for other passengers who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was en route to Spain's Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African migrants seeking entry into European nations.
Nearly forty-seven thousand migrants arrived at the Canary Islands in 2024 and data indicates in excess of 9,000 people perished trying.
Ongoing Mission
Following the Wednesday incident, The Gambian Navy began a search operation, using several naval vessels and a commercial fishing craft that joined the effort, the defense officials confirmed.
Reports indicate some of the deceased are foreign nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The bodies of the seven individuals who died were found, and ten of the survivors are described as being in serious condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Frequent Pathway
This West African nation is a frequent corridor utilized by asylum seekers attempting to enter the EU, frequently via perilous trips by sea and land.
Over the past few years, the EU has reached agreements with a number of North African nations aimed at curtailing illegal migration.
