At least seven people have died and many others remain unaccounted for after a boat carrying around 200 migrants attempting to reach the European continent capsized off the coast of The Gambia, reports confirm.
The vessel capsized on Wednesday midnight near Jinack in the North Bank area and it was afterwards located "grounded on a sandbank", the country's defence ministry announced officially.
Ninety-six people have been rescued so far and a search is continuing for other passengers who were aboard the shipwrecked vessel that was en route to the Spanish Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African asylum seekers trying to reach Europe.
Nearly forty-seven thousand migrants arrived at the Canary Islands in the year 2024 and estimates in excess of 9,000 migrants have lost their lives during the journey.
Search and Rescue Efforts
Following the Wednesday incident, Gambia's naval forces initiated a rescue mission, deploying several naval vessels and a commercial fishing craft that came to assist, the defense officials reported.
Officials state some of the deceased are not Gambian nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The remains of the seven individuals who perished at sea were found, and a dozen of the saved are reported to be in critical condition and receiving urgent medical care.
An Established Corridor
Gambia is a frequent corridor used by asylum seekers trying to reach European countries, often on hazardous voyages by sea and land.
Recently, the European Union has reached agreements with a number of North African countries with the goal of reducing irregular migration.
