No fewer than seven people have died and numerous others remain unaccounted for in the wake of a vessel carrying around two hundred migrants seeking to enter the European continent overturned in waters near The Gambia, authorities say.
The vessel capsized in the early hours of Thursday in the vicinity of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was later found "stranded on a sandbar", the nation's defense ministry stated in a release.
Nearly one hundred people were pulled to safety and a search is continuing for those still missing who were aboard the shipwrecked vessel that was bound for Spain's Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African migrants attempting to get to Europe.
Close to forty-seven thousand migrants made it to the Canary Islands in 2024 and estimates in excess of nine thousand individuals have died in the attempt.
Rescue Operation
After Wednesday's accident, The Gambian Navy initiated a search-and-rescue operation, using a number of military boats and a fishing vessel that joined the effort, the defence ministry confirmed.
Officials state several of the victims are foreign nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The bodies of the seven victims who drowned have been recovered, and a dozen of the saved are reported to be in critical condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
An Established Corridor
This West African nation is a common pathway used by migrants trying to reach Europe, frequently via perilous trips over water and land.
Recently, the European Union has forged deals with multiple North African countries designed to reducing undocumented migration.
