A minimum of seven people lost their lives and numerous others are missing in the wake of a craft transporting around 200 people trying to get to the European continent sank in waters near The Gambia, officials state.
The craft flipped on Wednesday midnight in the vicinity of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was afterwards located "stranded on a sandbar", the Gambian military authorities announced officially.
Ninety-six people have been rescued so far and a search is continuing for the remaining passengers who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was en route to Spain's Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic Ocean has grown into a more frequent path for migrants from Africa trying to reach the EU.
Close to 47,000 people reached the Canaries in 2024 and estimates in excess of 9,000 people have died during the journey.
Search and Rescue Efforts
Following the Wednesday incident, Gambia's naval forces launched a rescue mission, involving multiple navy ships and a commercial fishing craft that joined the effort, the military reported.
Reports indicate a number of those who died are foreign nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The remains of the seven victims who drowned were found, and ten of the survivors are described as being in critical condition and getting immediate medical attention.
An Established Corridor
The Gambia is a common pathway utilized by asylum seekers seeking to get to Europe, typically through dangerous journeys across ocean and terrain.
Over the past few years, the EU has forged deals with a number of North African countries designed to reducing undocumented migration.
