A minimum of seven people lost their lives and a significant number remain unaccounted for in the wake of a craft transporting about two hundred migrants attempting to reach European shores overturned in waters near The Gambia, officials state.
The craft flipped on Wednesday midnight close to Jinack in the northern bank region and it was subsequently discovered "grounded on a sandbank", the country's defence ministry announced officially.
Nearly one hundred people were pulled to safety and a rescue operation continues for those still missing who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was en route to Spain's Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African asylum seekers attempting to get to the EU.
Almost forty-seven thousand migrants reached the Canaries in 2024 and estimates in excess of nine thousand individuals perished during the journey.
Ongoing Mission
Following the Wednesday incident, The Gambian Navy initiated a rescue mission, involving a number of military boats and a fishing boat that came to assist, the defense officials said.
Authorities say a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The remains of the seven victims who perished at sea were found, and ten of the survivors are said to be in serious condition and getting immediate medical attention.
A Common Migration Route
Gambia is one of the routes utilized by asylum seekers attempting to enter European countries, often on hazardous voyages by sea and land.
In recent years, the European Union has established pacts with a number of North African countries aimed at curtailing undocumented migration.
