A minimum of seven souls have perished and a significant number are missing following a vessel ferrying about two hundred people seeking to enter European shores capsized in waters near Gambia, authorities say.
The craft flipped in the early hours of Thursday close to Jinack in the northern bank region and it was subsequently discovered "grounded on a sandbank", the nation's defense ministry stated in a release.
Ninety-six people have been saved to date and a hunt is ongoing for the remaining passengers who were traveling on the capsized craft that was heading towards the Spanish Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African migrants attempting to get to Europe.
Almost 47,000 individuals made it to the Canary Islands in 2024 and data indicates over 9,000 migrants have died trying.
Search and Rescue Efforts
Following the Wednesday incident, the navy launched a search operation, using a number of military boats and a commercial fishing craft that joined the effort, the defence ministry said.
Officials state a number of those who died are not from The Gambia and that their details are still being checked.
The remains of the seven individuals who died have been recovered, and ten of the survivors are described as being in grave health and getting immediate medical attention.
A Common Migration Route
Gambia is one of the routes utilized by migrants seeking to get to European countries, typically through hazardous voyages over water and land.
In recent years, the European Union has established pacts with multiple North African nations aimed at curtailing undocumented migration.
