A minimum of seven souls have died and many others are lost in the wake of a vessel ferrying about two hundred migrants trying to get to European shores capsized in waters near The Gambia, authorities say.
The vessel capsized in the early hours of Thursday close to the village of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was subsequently discovered "stranded on a sandbar", the nation's defense ministry stated in a release.
96 individuals were pulled to safety and a search is continuing for the remaining passengers who were on board the shipwrecked vessel that was en route to Spain's Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African asylum seekers trying to reach European nations.
Almost 47,000 individuals reached the Spanish archipelago in 2024 and estimates in excess of 9,000 migrants have died in the attempt.
Search and Rescue Efforts
After Wednesday's accident, the navy initiated a search operation, using a number of military boats and a fishing vessel that joined the effort, the defense officials said.
Officials state 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 retrieved, and ten of the survivors are described as being in critical condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Common Migration Route
This West African nation is a frequent corridor used by migrants attempting to enter European countries, typically through dangerous journeys over water and land.
Recently, the European bloc has forged deals with a number of Maghreb states aimed at limiting undocumented migration.
