No fewer than seven individuals lost their lives and many others remain unaccounted for following a craft ferrying around two hundred people seeking to enter European shores capsized in waters near Gambia, reports confirm.
The boat overturned on Wednesday midnight near Jinack in the North Bank area and it was later found "beached on a shoal", the Gambian military authorities announced officially.
96 individuals have been rescued so far and a hunt is ongoing for those still missing who were on board the capsized craft that was heading towards Spain's Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for migrants from Africa seeking entry into European nations.
Close to 47,000 individuals arrived at the Spanish archipelago in 2024 and figures suggest more than 9,000 migrants have died trying.
Rescue Operation
In the aftermath of the disaster, the navy launched a search-and-rescue operation, deploying multiple navy ships and a fishing vessel that joined the effort, the defense officials said.
Authorities say some of the deceased are foreign nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The remains of the seven victims who perished at sea have been recovered, and ten of the survivors are said to be in grave health and receiving urgent medical care.
An Established Corridor
The Gambia is a common pathway used by migrants trying to reach the EU, often on perilous trips over water and land.
Recently, the European Union has established pacts with multiple North African countries with the goal of reducing illegal migration.
