No fewer than seven people lost their lives and many others are missing following a craft ferrying about two hundred migrants seeking to enter Europe capsized near the shoreline of The Gambia, authorities say.
The vessel capsized in the early hours of Thursday near Jinack village in the North Bank area and it was afterwards located "stranded on a sandbar", the Gambian military authorities announced officially.
96 individuals have been saved to date and a rescue operation continues for those still missing who were aboard the sunken boat that was heading towards the Canary Islands of Spain.
The dangerous voyage over the the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for migrants from Africa seeking entry into European nations.
Nearly 47,000 individuals reached the Spanish archipelago in 2024 and estimates more than nine thousand individuals have died in the attempt.
Search and Rescue Efforts
Following the Wednesday incident, Gambia's naval forces initiated a search operation, deploying multiple navy ships and a fishing vessel that came to assist, the defense officials confirmed.
Authorities say some of the deceased are foreign nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The remains of the seven victims who died have been recovered, and ten of the survivors are said to be in grave health and getting immediate medical attention.
A Frequent Pathway
This West African nation is a common pathway used by asylum seekers trying to reach European countries, often on perilous trips over water and land.
In recent years, the EU has established pacts with a number of North African countries designed to reducing undocumented migration.
