A minimum of seven individuals have died and a significant number remain unaccounted for in the wake of a craft ferrying approximately two hundred people seeking to enter Europe capsized in waters near The Gambia, officials state.
The vessel capsized on Wednesday midnight near the village of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was subsequently discovered "stranded on a sandbar", the nation's defense ministry said in a statement.
Ninety-six people have been rescued so far and a search is continuing for the remaining passengers who were traveling on the sunken boat that was bound for the Canary Islands of Spain.
The perilous journey over the the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African migrants trying to reach Europe.
Close to 47,000 individuals reached the Spanish archipelago in 2024 and estimates over 9,000 people have died trying.
Ongoing Mission
In the aftermath of the disaster, The Gambian Navy launched a rescue mission, involving several naval vessels and a fishing boat that came to assist, the defence ministry confirmed.
Officials state several of the victims are foreign nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The bodies of the seven individuals who died were found, and ten of the survivors are said to be in grave health and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Common Migration Route
This West African nation is a common pathway utilized by migrants seeking to get to Europe, frequently via dangerous journeys over water and land.
In recent years, the EU has reached agreements with multiple North African countries with the goal of reducing undocumented migration.
