A minimum of seven people have perished and numerous others are lost in the wake of a craft ferrying about 200 migrants seeking to enter the European continent capsized near the shoreline of the Gambian coast, reports confirm.
The vessel capsized in the early hours of Thursday near Jinack village in the North Bank area and it was afterwards located "grounded on a sandbank", the Gambian military authorities announced officially.
Ninety-six people were pulled to safety and a rescue operation continues for the remaining passengers who were aboard the capsized craft that was en route to Spain's Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African asylum seekers attempting to get to Europe.
Close to forty-seven thousand migrants reached the Canary Islands in the year 2024 and data indicates over 9,000 migrants perished trying.
Rescue Operation
After Wednesday's accident, The Gambian Navy initiated a rescue mission, deploying a number of military boats and a commercial fishing craft that came to assist, the defense officials confirmed.
Reports indicate several of the victims are not from The Gambia and that their details are still being checked.
The bodies of the seven victims who drowned have been retrieved, and a dozen of the saved are reported to be in grave health and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Frequent Pathway
This West African nation is a common pathway taken by migrants seeking to get to European countries, frequently via hazardous voyages by sea and land.
In recent years, the European Union has reached agreements with several North African countries with the goal of reducing undocumented migration.
