No fewer than seven people lost their lives and numerous others are lost in the wake of a craft carrying approximately 200 migrants attempting to reach Europe capsized near the shoreline of The Gambia, officials state.
The craft flipped late Wednesday night near Jinack village in the North Bank area and it was afterwards located "beached on a shoal", the country's defence ministry announced officially.
Ninety-six people were pulled to safety and a hunt is ongoing for other passengers who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was en route to Spain's Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African asylum seekers trying to reach the EU.
Almost forty-seven thousand migrants arrived at the Canary Islands in 2024 and figures suggest over 9,000 people perished during the journey.
Rescue Operation
Following the Wednesday incident, The Gambian Navy initiated a search operation, deploying multiple navy ships and a fishing boat that offered help, the defense officials confirmed.
Officials state some of the deceased are not Gambian nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The remains of the seven people who drowned have been recovered, and 10 of those rescued are reported to be in grave health and undergoing emergency treatment.
An Established Corridor
This West African nation is one of the routes utilized by asylum seekers trying to reach European countries, typically through hazardous voyages across ocean and terrain.
Over the past few years, the European Union has forged deals with a number of Maghreb states designed to limiting undocumented migration.
