At least seven souls have died and numerous others are missing in the wake of a vessel ferrying around two hundred migrants seeking to enter the European continent overturned off the coast of Gambia, officials state.
The vessel capsized in the early hours of Thursday in the vicinity of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was afterwards located "grounded on a sandbank", the Gambian military authorities stated in a release.
96 individuals have been saved to date and a hunt is ongoing for those still missing who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was bound for the Spanish Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for migrants from Africa attempting to get to the EU.
Nearly 47,000 people made it to the Canary Islands in the year 2024 and data indicates more than 9,000 people perished during the journey.
Search and Rescue Efforts
In the aftermath of the disaster, Gambia's naval forces launched a rescue mission, deploying multiple navy ships and a fishing boat that offered help, the military reported.
Reports indicate several of the victims are foreign nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The remains of the seven victims who perished at sea have been recovered, and 10 of those rescued are reported to be in critical condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
An Established Corridor
Gambia is a common pathway taken by migrants attempting to enter the EU, often on perilous trips over water and land.
Over the past few years, the EU has forged deals with a number of North African nations aimed at curtailing undocumented migration.
