At least seven individuals lost their lives and many others are lost in the wake of a vessel transporting approximately 200 migrants seeking to enter European shores overturned off the coast of Gambia, officials state.
The vessel capsized late Wednesday night near the village of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was subsequently discovered "beached on a shoal", the nation's defense ministry announced officially.
96 individuals have been rescued so far and a rescue operation continues for the remaining passengers who were aboard the shipwrecked vessel that was en route to the Spanish Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for migrants from Africa trying to reach the EU.
Almost 47,000 people made it to the Spanish archipelago in 2024 and data indicates more than nine thousand individuals perished during the journey.
Rescue Operation
In the aftermath of the disaster, The Gambian Navy launched a rescue mission, using several naval vessels and a commercial fishing craft that joined the effort, the defense officials reported.
Officials state some of the deceased are not Gambian nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The deceased of the seven individuals who drowned were found, and ten of the survivors are said to be in critical condition and getting immediate medical attention.
An Established Corridor
Gambia is one of the routes utilized by migrants trying to reach European countries, typically through hazardous voyages over water and land.
Over the past few years, the European Union has established pacts with a number of North African countries with the goal of curtailing illegal migration.
