A minimum of seven individuals lost their lives and a significant number are missing following a vessel ferrying approximately 200 migrants seeking to enter European shores sank off the coast of Gambia, authorities say.
The vessel capsized on Wednesday midnight close to the village of Jinack in the North Bank area and it was afterwards located "beached on a shoal", the country's defence ministry announced officially.
96 individuals have been rescued so far and a search is continuing for other passengers who were aboard the sunken boat that was en route to the Spanish Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic Ocean has become an increasingly common route for migrants from Africa attempting to get to European nations.
Close to forty-seven thousand migrants arrived at the Canary Islands in 2024 and data indicates in excess of 9,000 migrants have lost their lives trying.
Search and Rescue Efforts
Following the Wednesday incident, Gambia's naval forces launched a search-and-rescue operation, using multiple navy ships and a commercial fishing craft that offered help, the military reported.
Reports indicate several of the victims are not Gambian nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The bodies of the seven people who drowned have been recovered, and 10 of those rescued are reported to be in serious condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Frequent Pathway
This West African nation is a frequent corridor utilized by asylum seekers trying to reach European countries, often on perilous trips across ocean and terrain.
In recent years, the European Union has forged deals with multiple North African countries with the goal of limiting illegal migration.
