A minimum of seven individuals lost their lives and numerous others are missing in the wake of a vessel transporting about 200 people trying to get to Europe capsized near the shoreline of Gambia, reports confirm.
The craft flipped late Wednesday night close to the village of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was afterwards located "beached on a shoal", the nation's defense ministry stated in a release.
Ninety-six people have been rescued so far and a search is continuing for those still missing who were on board the shipwrecked vessel that was bound for the Spanish Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for migrants from Africa attempting to get to Europe.
Almost forty-seven thousand migrants arrived at the Spanish archipelago in the year 2024 and estimates more than nine thousand individuals perished trying.
Rescue Operation
In the aftermath of the disaster, The Gambian Navy initiated a search operation, deploying several naval vessels and a fishing vessel that offered help, the defence ministry reported.
Authorities say a number of those who died are not from The Gambia and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The deceased of the seven individuals who died have been retrieved, and ten of the survivors are reported to be in critical condition and getting immediate medical attention.
A Common Migration Route
Gambia is a frequent corridor taken by asylum seekers attempting to enter Europe, often on hazardous voyages over water and land.
Recently, the European Union has established pacts with several North African nations aimed at limiting irregular migration.
