A minimum of seven souls have perished and numerous others remain unaccounted for after a vessel carrying approximately 200 migrants trying to get to European shores overturned in waters near the Gambian coast, officials state.
The vessel capsized in the early hours of Thursday in the vicinity of Jinack in the North Bank area and it was afterwards located "grounded on a sandbank", the nation's defense ministry stated in a release.
Ninety-six people have been saved to date and a hunt is ongoing for those still missing who were traveling on the capsized craft that was en route to the Spanish Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic Ocean has grown into a more frequent path for migrants from Africa seeking entry into Europe.
Almost forty-seven thousand migrants reached the Canaries in the year 2024 and data indicates in excess of nine thousand individuals have lost their lives trying.
Rescue Operation
In the aftermath of the disaster, the navy began a search operation, deploying several naval vessels and a fishing boat that offered help, the defense officials reported.
Officials state a number of those who died are not from The Gambia and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The remains of the seven people who drowned were found, and ten of the survivors are reported to be in grave health and undergoing emergency treatment.
An Established Corridor
The Gambia is one of the routes used by migrants attempting to enter Europe, typically through hazardous voyages over water and land.
In recent years, the EU has forged deals with multiple Maghreb states designed to curtailing undocumented migration.
