No fewer than seven people have perished and numerous others remain unaccounted for after a craft carrying approximately two hundred migrants seeking to enter Europe capsized in waters near The Gambia, reports confirm.
The boat overturned late Wednesday night close to the village of Jinack in the North Bank area and it was subsequently discovered "beached on a shoal", the nation's defense ministry stated in a release.
Ninety-six people have been rescued so far and a hunt is ongoing for the remaining passengers who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was bound for the Spanish Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African asylum seekers attempting to get to Europe.
Nearly 47,000 people made it to the Canaries in the year 2024 and data indicates over 9,000 migrants have died during the journey.
Ongoing Mission
In the aftermath of the disaster, the navy initiated a rescue mission, deploying several naval vessels and a commercial fishing craft that came to assist, the defence ministry said.
Reports indicate a number of those who died are foreign nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The bodies of the seven victims who perished at sea were found, and a dozen of the saved are described as being in grave health and undergoing emergency treatment.
An Established Corridor
The Gambia is one of the routes used by migrants trying to reach European countries, frequently via dangerous journeys across ocean and terrain.
Recently, the European Union has reached agreements with several Maghreb states with the goal of reducing irregular migration.
