A minimum of seven souls lost their lives and many others are lost in the wake of a vessel transporting around two hundred migrants seeking to enter European shores capsized near the shoreline of the Gambian coast, officials state.
The vessel capsized in the early hours of Thursday near Jinack village in the North Bank Region and it was subsequently discovered "beached on a shoal", the nation's defense ministry stated in a release.
Nearly one hundred people were pulled to safety and a search is continuing for other passengers who were on board the sunken boat 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 attempting to get to Europe.
Almost forty-seven thousand migrants reached the Canaries in 2024 and figures suggest in excess of 9,000 people perished during the journey.
Search and Rescue Efforts
After Wednesday's accident, The Gambian Navy initiated a search-and-rescue operation, deploying multiple navy ships and a fishing boat that offered help, the defense officials confirmed.
Reports indicate some of the deceased are not from The Gambia and that their identities are still being verified.
The deceased of the seven people who perished at sea were found, and 10 of those rescued are reported to be in critical condition and receiving urgent medical care.
A Frequent Pathway
This West African nation is one of the routes utilized by migrants seeking to get to European countries, often on dangerous journeys over water and land.
Over the past few years, the EU has forged deals with a number of North African countries aimed at curtailing undocumented migration.
