At least seven souls have perished and a significant number remain unaccounted for in the wake of a vessel transporting around 200 migrants seeking to enter the European continent sank near the shoreline of the Gambian coast, authorities say.
The vessel capsized in the early hours of Thursday in the vicinity of Jinack in the North Bank area and it was later found "grounded on a sandbank", the nation's defense ministry stated in a release.
Nearly one hundred people have been saved to date and a search is continuing for those still missing who were on board the capsized craft that was bound for Spain's Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African migrants attempting to get to the EU.
Almost 47,000 people arrived at the Canary Islands in the year 2024 and figures suggest over 9,000 people have died during the journey.
Search and Rescue Efforts
In the aftermath of the disaster, The Gambian Navy launched a rescue mission, deploying several naval vessels and a fishing boat that came to assist, the defense officials confirmed.
Reports indicate a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The remains of the seven victims who drowned have been retrieved, and ten of the survivors are described as being in critical condition and getting immediate medical attention.
An Established Corridor
Gambia is a common pathway utilized by migrants trying to reach European countries, often on dangerous journeys over water and land.
Over the past few years, the European Union has established pacts with a number of North African nations designed to limiting irregular migration.
