A minimum of seven individuals lost their lives and a significant number remain unaccounted for after a craft ferrying approximately 200 migrants seeking to enter European shores capsized off the coast of the Gambian coast, authorities say.
The boat overturned in the early hours of Thursday in the vicinity of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was later found "beached on a shoal", the country's defence ministry announced officially.
96 individuals have been rescued so far and a search is continuing for other passengers who were on board the shipwrecked vessel that was en route to Spain's Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African migrants trying to reach the EU.
Close to forty-seven thousand migrants arrived at the Canary Islands in the year 2024 and figures suggest more than nine thousand individuals have lost their lives during the journey.
Rescue Operation
In the aftermath of the disaster, The Gambian Navy began a search operation, using multiple navy ships and a commercial fishing craft that came to assist, the defense officials said.
Authorities say a number of those who died are foreign nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The remains of the seven individuals who perished at sea have been recovered, and 10 of those rescued are said to be in critical condition and getting immediate medical attention.
A Common Migration Route
Gambia is a common pathway utilized by asylum seekers seeking to get to European countries, often on hazardous voyages across ocean and terrain.
Recently, the European Union has forged deals with several North African nations with the goal of curtailing illegal migration.
