A minimum of seven individuals have perished and a significant number remain unaccounted for in the wake of a boat ferrying about two hundred migrants seeking to enter the European continent capsized near the shoreline of Gambia, officials state.
The vessel capsized on Wednesday midnight in the vicinity of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was afterwards located "beached on a shoal", the country's defence ministry announced officially.
Ninety-six people have been rescued so far and a rescue operation continues for other passengers who were traveling on the sunken boat that was bound for the Spanish Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic Ocean has grown into a more frequent path for migrants from Africa attempting to get to European nations.
Close to forty-seven thousand migrants arrived at the Canary Islands in the year 2024 and figures suggest in excess of 9,000 migrants have died trying.
Ongoing Mission
Following the Wednesday incident, the navy began a search-and-rescue operation, involving several naval vessels and a fishing boat that offered help, the defence ministry confirmed.
Reports indicate some of the deceased are foreign nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The remains of the seven victims who drowned have been recovered, and ten of the survivors are reported to be in grave health and receiving urgent medical care.
An Established Corridor
Gambia is one of the routes used by asylum seekers trying to reach the EU, typically through perilous trips by sea and land.
In recent years, the European Union has reached agreements with a number of Maghreb states aimed at curtailing undocumented migration.
