A minimum of seven souls have perished and many others are missing after a vessel ferrying about two hundred migrants seeking to enter European shores overturned in waters near Gambia, reports confirm.
The craft flipped on Wednesday midnight in the vicinity of the village of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was later found "grounded on a sandbank", the nation's defense ministry said in a statement.
Ninety-six people were pulled to safety and a search is continuing for the remaining passengers who were on board the capsized craft that was en route to the Canary Islands of Spain.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic Ocean has emerged as a rising pathway for migrants from Africa trying to reach the EU.
Nearly 47,000 people arrived at the Canaries in the year 2024 and figures suggest over 9,000 people have lost their lives trying.
Rescue Operation
Following the Wednesday incident, the navy launched a rescue mission, deploying several naval vessels and a commercial fishing craft that joined the effort, the defence ministry reported.
Reports indicate some of the deceased are not Gambian nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The remains of the seven individuals who drowned were found, and a dozen of the saved are described as being in serious condition and receiving urgent medical care.
A Frequent Pathway
This West African nation is a frequent corridor taken by migrants seeking to get to the EU, often on dangerous journeys across ocean and terrain.
In recent years, the European Union has reached agreements with multiple Maghreb states aimed at reducing irregular migration.
