A minimum of seven people have died and many others are missing after a craft transporting about two hundred people attempting to reach Europe capsized off the coast of the Gambian coast, authorities say.
The vessel capsized in the early hours of Thursday in the vicinity of Jinack village in the North Bank Region and it was afterwards located "beached on a shoal", the nation's defense ministry announced officially.
Nearly one hundred people were pulled to safety and a search is continuing for the remaining passengers who were traveling on the capsized craft that was bound for the Spanish Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African migrants attempting to get to Europe.
Nearly forty-seven thousand migrants made it to the Spanish archipelago in the year 2024 and estimates in excess of nine thousand individuals have died trying.
Ongoing Mission
Following the Wednesday incident, the navy began a rescue mission, involving a number of military boats and a fishing boat that joined the effort, the military confirmed.
Reports indicate some of the deceased are not Gambian nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The bodies of the seven individuals who perished at sea have been recovered, and 10 of those rescued are said to be in critical condition and receiving urgent medical care.
A Frequent Pathway
This West African nation is a common pathway utilized by asylum seekers trying to reach European countries, often on hazardous voyages across ocean and terrain.
In recent years, the European bloc has forged deals with multiple North African countries aimed at curtailing undocumented migration.
