A minimum of seven individuals lost their lives and many others remain unaccounted for following a vessel transporting around 200 people seeking to enter European shores overturned off the coast of the Gambian coast, authorities say.
The craft flipped in the early hours of Thursday in the vicinity of the village of Jinack in the North Bank area and it was afterwards located "beached on a shoal", the Gambian military authorities announced officially.
Ninety-six people were pulled to safety and a search is continuing for the remaining passengers who were on board the capsized craft that was en route to the Spanish Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic Ocean has grown into a more frequent path for African asylum seekers trying to reach European nations.
Close to forty-seven thousand migrants arrived at the Canary Islands in the year 2024 and estimates more than 9,000 people have lost their lives during the journey.
Rescue Operation
In the aftermath of the disaster, The Gambian Navy initiated a rescue mission, deploying several naval vessels and a fishing vessel that came to assist, the defense officials reported.
Authorities say some of the deceased are not from The Gambia and that their identities are still being verified.
The deceased of the seven individuals who died have been recovered, and ten of the survivors are said to be in critical condition and getting immediate medical attention.
A Frequent Pathway
The Gambia is a common pathway taken by migrants seeking to get to the EU, often on hazardous voyages over water and land.
Over the past few years, the EU has forged deals with several North African countries designed to curtailing irregular migration.
