At least seven people have perished and many others remain unaccounted for in the wake of a vessel transporting about two hundred migrants trying to get to European shores capsized in waters near the Gambian coast, officials state.
The craft flipped late Wednesday night in the vicinity of Jinack village in the North Bank area and it was later found "stranded on a sandbar", the nation's defense ministry said in a statement.
Nearly one hundred people have been saved to date and a search is continuing for other passengers who were aboard the capsized craft that was heading towards the Canary Islands of Spain.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African asylum seekers attempting to get to Europe.
Nearly forty-seven thousand migrants reached the Canaries in 2024 and data indicates over 9,000 people have died trying.
Search and Rescue Efforts
Following the Wednesday incident, The Gambian Navy began a search operation, deploying several naval vessels and a commercial fishing craft that came to assist, the defence ministry confirmed.
Authorities say several of the victims are not Gambian nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The bodies of the seven individuals who perished at sea have been retrieved, and 10 of those rescued are described as being in serious condition and getting immediate medical attention.
A Frequent Pathway
The Gambia is a common pathway used by asylum seekers attempting to enter the EU, frequently via hazardous voyages over water and land.
Over the past few years, the EU has forged deals with a number of Maghreb states designed to limiting irregular migration.
