No fewer than seven individuals lost their lives and numerous others are missing after a vessel transporting about two hundred migrants seeking to enter the European continent overturned in waters near Gambia, officials state.
The boat overturned on Wednesday midnight close to Jinack in the North Bank area and it was later found "beached on a shoal", the Gambian military authorities stated in a release.
Ninety-six people have been saved to date and a search is continuing for the remaining passengers who were traveling on the capsized craft that was bound for Spain's Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic Ocean has grown into a more frequent path for migrants from Africa seeking entry into Europe.
Almost forty-seven thousand migrants made it to the Spanish archipelago in the year 2024 and figures suggest in excess of 9,000 people have died in the attempt.
Rescue Operation
Following the Wednesday incident, The Gambian Navy began a rescue mission, deploying multiple navy ships and a fishing boat that came to assist, the defense officials confirmed.
Reports indicate several of the victims are not Gambian nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The deceased of the seven individuals who perished at sea have been retrieved, and a dozen of the saved are described as being in critical condition and getting immediate medical attention.
An Established Corridor
Gambia is a common pathway taken by asylum seekers attempting to enter Europe, often on hazardous voyages across ocean and terrain.
Over the past few years, the European bloc has reached agreements with multiple Maghreb states aimed at limiting irregular migration.
