No fewer than seven individuals have died and numerous others remain unaccounted for in the wake of a vessel carrying around two hundred migrants seeking to enter the European continent capsized in waters near the Gambian coast, authorities say.
The craft flipped on Wednesday midnight near Jinack village in the North Bank Region and it was afterwards located "stranded on a sandbar", the Gambian military authorities stated in a release.
96 individuals have been rescued so far and a rescue operation continues for other passengers who were on board the shipwrecked vessel that was heading towards the Canary Islands of Spain.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic Ocean has emerged as a rising pathway for African migrants attempting to get to European nations.
Close to 47,000 individuals arrived at the Canaries in 2024 and figures suggest in excess of nine thousand individuals perished during the journey.
Search and Rescue Efforts
After Wednesday's accident, Gambia's naval forces initiated a search-and-rescue operation, deploying several naval vessels and a fishing vessel that offered help, the military confirmed.
Officials state several of the victims are not from The Gambia and that their identities are still being verified.
The remains of the seven people who drowned have been recovered, and a dozen of the saved are reported to be in critical condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Common Migration Route
The Gambia is a common pathway taken by asylum seekers seeking to get to European countries, frequently via hazardous voyages across ocean and terrain.
Over the past few years, the EU has forged deals with several North African nations designed to limiting irregular migration.
