No fewer than seven individuals have perished and numerous others are lost after a vessel transporting about 200 migrants seeking to enter European shores overturned off the coast of the Gambian coast, reports confirm.
The vessel capsized on Wednesday midnight in the vicinity of Jinack village in the North Bank Region and it was subsequently discovered "grounded on a sandbank", the nation's defense ministry stated in a release.
Ninety-six people have been saved to date and a hunt is ongoing for other passengers who were on board the sunken boat that was bound for Spain's Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African asylum seekers attempting to get to Europe.
Close to forty-seven thousand migrants reached the Spanish archipelago in 2024 and data indicates over 9,000 migrants have died trying.
Ongoing Mission
In the aftermath of the disaster, The Gambian Navy began a rescue mission, deploying a number of military boats and a fishing vessel that offered help, the defence ministry said.
Authorities say several of the victims are not from The Gambia and that their identities are still being verified.
The deceased of the seven individuals who perished at sea were found, and a dozen of the saved are reported to be in serious condition and getting immediate medical attention.
An Established Corridor
This West African nation is one of the routes used by migrants seeking to get to the EU, typically through hazardous voyages by sea and land.
Over the past few years, the EU has forged deals with multiple North African nations with the goal of limiting undocumented migration.
