No fewer than seven individuals have perished and many others are lost after a craft transporting about two hundred people seeking to enter the European continent sank near the shoreline of Gambia, authorities say.
The vessel capsized late Wednesday night close to the village of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was later found "beached on a shoal", the nation's defense ministry stated in a release.
96 individuals have been saved to date and a search is continuing for those still missing who were on board the shipwrecked vessel that was heading towards Spain's Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for migrants from Africa seeking entry into European nations.
Close to 47,000 individuals reached the Canary Islands in 2024 and figures suggest over nine thousand individuals have lost their lives in the attempt.
Rescue Operation
Following the Wednesday incident, the navy launched a rescue mission, using several naval vessels and a fishing boat that joined the effort, the defence ministry confirmed.
Reports indicate a number of those who died are not from The Gambia and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The bodies of the seven individuals who died were found, and a dozen of the saved are said to be in critical condition and receiving urgent medical care.
A Frequent Pathway
Gambia is a common pathway taken by migrants attempting to enter the EU, frequently via dangerous journeys over water and land.
Over the past few years, the EU has established pacts with a number of Maghreb states aimed at curtailing irregular migration.
