At least seven individuals have died and a significant number remain unaccounted for following a craft transporting around two hundred migrants trying to get to Europe capsized off the coast of The Gambia, authorities say.
The vessel capsized in the early hours of Thursday near Jinack in the northern bank region and it was later found "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 those still missing who were aboard the sunken boat that was en route to the Canary Islands of Spain.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African asylum seekers trying to reach the EU.
Close to 47,000 people made it to the Canary Islands in 2024 and data indicates in excess of 9,000 migrants have lost their lives during the journey.
Rescue Operation
After Wednesday's accident, The Gambian Navy began a rescue mission, using multiple navy ships and a commercial fishing craft that offered help, the defence ministry reported.
Officials state several of the victims are foreign nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The deceased of the seven victims who died have been retrieved, and a dozen of the saved are described as being in critical condition and receiving urgent medical care.
An Established Corridor
The Gambia is a common pathway taken by migrants attempting to enter the EU, often on hazardous voyages across ocean and terrain.
In recent years, the European bloc has established pacts with multiple Maghreb states with the goal of limiting illegal migration.
