At least seven souls have perished and many others are missing after a craft carrying around two hundred people seeking to enter Europe overturned off the coast of The Gambia, officials state.
The craft flipped late Wednesday night in the vicinity of the village of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was later found "grounded on a sandbank", the country's defence ministry said in a statement.
Nearly one hundred people have been rescued so far and a search is continuing for the remaining passengers who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was bound for the Canary Islands of Spain.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African migrants trying to reach European nations.
Close to 47,000 individuals arrived at the Canary Islands in 2024 and figures suggest over 9,000 migrants perished in the attempt.
Search and Rescue Efforts
After Wednesday's accident, The Gambian Navy began a search-and-rescue operation, deploying several naval vessels and a commercial fishing craft that offered help, the defence ministry confirmed.
Reports indicate a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The bodies of the seven people who perished at sea were found, and 10 of those rescued are reported to be in critical condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
An Established Corridor
This West African nation is a common pathway utilized by migrants trying to reach the EU, frequently via perilous trips across ocean and terrain.
In recent years, the European Union has reached agreements with a number of Maghreb states designed to limiting illegal migration.
