No fewer than seven people lost their lives and many others remain unaccounted for following a vessel transporting about two hundred people trying to get to Europe sank off the coast of Gambia, reports confirm.
The vessel capsized on Wednesday midnight near the village of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was later found "stranded on a sandbar", the nation's defense ministry said in a statement.
Nearly one hundred 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 dangerous voyage over the the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for migrants from Africa attempting to get to Europe.
Nearly 47,000 people arrived at the Canary Islands in 2024 and estimates in excess of 9,000 migrants perished during the journey.
Search and Rescue Efforts
In the aftermath of the disaster, Gambia's naval forces began a search-and-rescue operation, using multiple navy ships and a fishing boat that offered help, the defense officials confirmed.
Officials state a number of those who died are not from The Gambia and that their details are still being checked.
The deceased of the seven victims who perished at sea have been retrieved, and ten of the survivors are described as being in critical condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Frequent Pathway
Gambia is one of the routes taken by migrants seeking to get to the EU, often on perilous trips by sea and land.
Over the past few years, the European bloc has reached agreements with several North African nations with the goal of reducing undocumented migration.
