No fewer than seven individuals have died and many others remain unaccounted for following a vessel transporting approximately two hundred migrants seeking to enter Europe overturned near the shoreline of Gambia, officials state.
The vessel capsized late Wednesday night close to Jinack in the northern bank region and it was later found "stranded on a sandbar", the country's defence ministry stated in a release.
Nearly one hundred people have been rescued so far and a hunt is ongoing for those still missing who were aboard the capsized craft that was en route to the Spanish Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for migrants from Africa seeking entry into Europe.
Almost 47,000 individuals arrived at the Spanish archipelago in the year 2024 and data indicates more than nine thousand individuals have died in the attempt.
Rescue Operation
In the aftermath of the disaster, The Gambian Navy launched a search operation, using a number of military boats and a fishing vessel that offered help, the military confirmed.
Reports indicate some of the deceased are not from The Gambia and that their details are still being checked.
The bodies of the seven victims who died have been retrieved, and ten of the survivors are described as being in serious condition and receiving urgent medical care.
A Common Migration Route
This West African nation is one of the routes used by migrants attempting to enter the EU, frequently via perilous trips over water and land.
Over the past few years, the EU has forged deals with a number of Maghreb states designed to limiting undocumented migration.
