No fewer than seven individuals have died and a significant number remain unaccounted for after a craft transporting approximately two hundred migrants seeking to enter Europe sank near the shoreline of Gambia, reports confirm.
The craft flipped late Wednesday night near Jinack village in the North Bank area and it was subsequently discovered "stranded on a sandbar", the country's defence ministry stated in a release.
Ninety-six people have been saved to date and a rescue operation continues for other passengers who were aboard the capsized craft that was en route to Spain's Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for migrants from Africa seeking entry into Europe.
Nearly 47,000 people arrived at the Canaries in 2024 and figures suggest in excess of 9,000 migrants perished trying.
Search and Rescue Efforts
Following the Wednesday incident, the navy began a search operation, involving several naval vessels and a commercial fishing craft that came to assist, the military confirmed.
Authorities say some of the deceased are not Gambian nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The deceased of the seven individuals who perished at sea have been retrieved, and a dozen of the saved are said to be in critical condition and getting immediate medical attention.
An Established Corridor
The Gambia is one of the routes used by asylum seekers seeking to get to the EU, frequently via dangerous journeys by sea and land.
Over the past few years, the European Union has reached agreements with multiple North African countries aimed at curtailing undocumented migration.
