No fewer than seven people lost their lives and numerous others are missing following a craft carrying around two hundred migrants trying to get to Europe capsized in waters near Gambia, reports confirm.
The craft flipped in the early hours of Thursday close to Jinack village in the North Bank Region 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 rescue operation continues for the remaining passengers who were on board the capsized craft that was heading towards the Canary Islands of Spain.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African asylum seekers attempting to get to the EU.
Close to forty-seven thousand migrants made it to the Canary Islands in 2024 and data indicates more than nine thousand individuals have lost their lives in the attempt.
Rescue Operation
Following the Wednesday incident, the navy initiated a search-and-rescue operation, using a number of military boats and a commercial fishing craft that came to assist, the defense officials reported.
Authorities say some of the deceased are foreign nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The bodies of the seven victims who died have been recovered, and ten of the survivors are said to be in critical condition and receiving urgent medical care.
A Frequent Pathway
The Gambia is one of the routes utilized by migrants trying to reach the EU, frequently via dangerous journeys by sea and land.
In recent years, the European bloc has established pacts with multiple Maghreb states designed to limiting irregular migration.
