At least seven individuals have died and many others remain unaccounted for after a craft carrying approximately 200 migrants seeking to enter European shores overturned in waters near the Gambian coast, reports confirm.
The vessel capsized on Wednesday midnight in the vicinity of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was later found "beached on a shoal", the Gambian military authorities announced officially.
96 individuals have been saved to date and a rescue operation continues for the remaining passengers who were aboard the sunken boat that was bound for the Canary Islands of Spain.
The hazardous trip over the the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African migrants attempting to get to Europe.
Nearly 47,000 individuals made it to the Canaries in 2024 and estimates over nine thousand individuals perished during the journey.
Search and Rescue Efforts
In the aftermath of the disaster, Gambia's naval forces began a search-and-rescue operation, involving a number of military boats and a commercial fishing craft that came to assist, the military said.
Officials state some of the deceased are foreign nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The deceased of the seven victims who died have been retrieved, and a dozen of the saved are described as being in grave health and getting immediate medical attention.
A Frequent Pathway
The Gambia is one of the routes taken by migrants trying to reach European countries, typically through perilous trips by sea and land.
In recent years, the EU has established pacts with several Maghreb states with the goal of limiting undocumented migration.
