A minimum of seven people have perished and numerous others are missing following a craft transporting approximately 200 people seeking to enter Europe capsized near the shoreline of The Gambia, authorities say.
The vessel capsized on Wednesday midnight close to the village of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was afterwards located "grounded on a sandbank", the Gambian military authorities stated in a release.
96 individuals have been saved to date and a rescue operation continues for the remaining passengers who were traveling on the sunken boat that was bound for the Spanish Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for migrants from Africa seeking entry into Europe.
Close to 47,000 individuals reached the Spanish archipelago in the year 2024 and data indicates in excess of nine thousand individuals have died during the journey.
Rescue Operation
After Wednesday's accident, Gambia's naval forces began a rescue mission, deploying several naval vessels and a fishing boat that came to assist, the military said.
Authorities say several of the victims are not from The Gambia and that their details are still being checked.
The remains of the seven individuals who died have been retrieved, and 10 of those rescued are described as being in serious condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
An Established Corridor
This West African nation is one of the routes used by migrants attempting to enter European countries, often on perilous trips across ocean and terrain.
Over the past few years, the European bloc has forged deals with multiple Maghreb states designed to curtailing illegal migration.
