No fewer than seven souls lost their lives and a significant number are missing following a craft ferrying about 200 migrants attempting to reach European shores capsized near the shoreline of The Gambia, authorities say.
The vessel capsized in the early hours of Thursday close to the village of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was later found "grounded on a sandbank", the nation's defense ministry announced officially.
96 individuals were pulled to safety and a search is continuing for the remaining passengers who were traveling on the capsized craft that was en route to the Spanish Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for migrants from Africa trying to reach the EU.
Almost forty-seven thousand migrants arrived at the Canary Islands in 2024 and figures suggest in excess of 9,000 people have died in the attempt.
Search and Rescue Efforts
In the aftermath of the disaster, the navy began a rescue mission, involving a number of military boats and a fishing vessel that joined the effort, the defence ministry confirmed.
Authorities say several of the victims are not Gambian nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The bodies of the seven individuals who died were found, and a dozen of the saved are described as being in critical condition and receiving urgent medical care.
An Established Corridor
Gambia is a common pathway used by asylum seekers seeking to get to the EU, frequently via dangerous journeys across ocean and terrain.
In recent years, the European Union has established pacts with multiple North African countries with the goal of curtailing irregular migration.
