A minimum of seven individuals have died and a significant number are missing after a vessel transporting around two hundred people seeking to enter Europe sank off the coast of Gambia, officials state.
The vessel capsized on Wednesday midnight close to Jinack in the North Bank area and it was later found "stranded on a sandbar", the nation's defense ministry stated in a release.
Ninety-six people were pulled to safety and a rescue operation continues for those still missing who were on board the capsized craft that was en route to Spain's Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African asylum seekers seeking entry into Europe.
Nearly 47,000 individuals reached the Canaries in 2024 and data indicates more than 9,000 migrants perished in the attempt.
Rescue Operation
In the aftermath of the disaster, the navy began a search-and-rescue operation, involving a number of military boats and a commercial fishing craft that came to assist, the military reported.
Officials state a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The bodies of the seven people who drowned have been recovered, and 10 of those rescued are described as being in serious condition and getting immediate medical attention.
An Established Corridor
The Gambia is one of the routes taken by migrants attempting to enter Europe, often on dangerous journeys across ocean and terrain.
In recent years, the European bloc has established pacts with a number of Maghreb states aimed at curtailing undocumented migration.
