At least seven people have died and a significant number remain unaccounted for after a craft transporting about two hundred migrants seeking to enter European shores capsized in waters near Gambia, reports confirm.
The craft flipped on Wednesday midnight near Jinack village in the northern bank region and it was afterwards located "grounded on a sandbank", the nation's defense ministry stated in a release.
96 individuals have been saved to date and a rescue operation continues for those still missing who were aboard the shipwrecked vessel that was en route to the Spanish Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic Ocean has grown into a more frequent path for migrants from Africa attempting to get to Europe.
Almost 47,000 individuals arrived at the Spanish archipelago in 2024 and data indicates more than 9,000 people perished in the attempt.
Ongoing Mission
Following the Wednesday incident, Gambia's naval forces began a rescue mission, using a number of military boats and a commercial fishing craft that offered help, the military confirmed.
Reports indicate a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The bodies of the seven victims who perished at sea have been retrieved, and ten of the survivors are reported to be in critical condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Frequent Pathway
The Gambia is one of the routes taken by migrants seeking to get to Europe, often on dangerous journeys across ocean and terrain.
In recent years, the EU has reached agreements with multiple North African countries aimed at reducing undocumented migration.
