A minimum of seven individuals lost their lives and many others are lost following a craft transporting about two hundred people attempting to reach Europe sank in waters near The Gambia, officials state.
The craft flipped late Wednesday night in the vicinity of Jinack village in the North Bank area and it was afterwards located "beached on a shoal", the Gambian military authorities stated in a release.
Nearly one hundred people were pulled to safety and a rescue operation continues for those still missing who were aboard the capsized craft that was heading towards the Spanish Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African asylum seekers trying to reach European nations.
Close to 47,000 people made it to the Spanish archipelago in the year 2024 and figures suggest in excess of 9,000 people perished trying.
Search and Rescue Efforts
After Wednesday's accident, The Gambian Navy launched a search operation, deploying multiple navy ships and a commercial fishing craft that joined the effort, the defence ministry confirmed.
Authorities say some of the deceased are not from The Gambia and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The deceased of the seven individuals who perished at sea were found, and a dozen of the saved are said to be in serious condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
An Established Corridor
This West African nation is a common pathway taken by migrants seeking to get to the EU, often on dangerous journeys by sea and land.
Recently, the European Union has established pacts with multiple North African nations aimed at curtailing illegal migration.
