At least seven souls have perished and many others are missing after a vessel ferrying about 200 migrants trying to get to the European continent overturned in waters near the Gambian coast, authorities say.
The craft flipped on Wednesday midnight close to the village of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was subsequently discovered "beached on a shoal", the country's defence ministry stated in a release.
Nearly one hundred people were pulled to safety and a hunt is ongoing for the remaining passengers who were on board the shipwrecked vessel that was bound for the Canary Islands of Spain.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African asylum seekers attempting to get to European nations.
Close to forty-seven thousand migrants arrived at the Spanish archipelago in 2024 and estimates in excess of 9,000 migrants have lost their lives trying.
Rescue Operation
Following the Wednesday incident, Gambia's naval forces initiated a rescue mission, involving multiple navy ships and a fishing vessel that joined the effort, the defense officials said.
Officials state a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The deceased of the seven individuals who drowned have been retrieved, and ten of the survivors are reported to be in grave health and getting immediate medical attention.
An Established Corridor
This West African nation is one of the routes utilized by migrants attempting to enter European countries, often on hazardous voyages across ocean and terrain.
Recently, the European bloc has established pacts with several Maghreb states with the goal of reducing illegal migration.
