No fewer than seven souls have perished and a significant number are missing after a craft ferrying about 200 migrants seeking to enter the European continent sank near the shoreline of the Gambian coast, officials state.
The vessel capsized on Wednesday midnight in the vicinity of the village of Jinack in the North Bank area and it was afterwards located "beached on a shoal", the nation's defense ministry stated in a release.
Nearly one hundred people were pulled to safety and a search is continuing for those still missing who were on board the capsized craft that was en route to the Canary Islands of Spain.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic Ocean has grown into a more frequent path for African migrants seeking entry into the EU.
Nearly 47,000 people made it to the Canary Islands in the year 2024 and data indicates more than 9,000 migrants perished trying.
Rescue Operation
Following the Wednesday incident, the navy launched a search operation, involving multiple navy ships and a fishing boat that offered help, the defence ministry said.
Authorities say several of the victims are not from The Gambia and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The bodies of the seven people who died have been retrieved, and 10 of those rescued are said to be in critical condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Frequent Pathway
Gambia is one of the routes taken by migrants trying to reach the EU, frequently via dangerous journeys over water and land.
In recent years, the European Union has reached agreements with a number of Maghreb states with the goal of reducing illegal migration.
