No fewer than seven people have perished and numerous others are missing in the wake of a boat carrying approximately 200 migrants attempting to reach European shores sank near the shoreline of The Gambia, officials state.
The vessel capsized in the early hours of Thursday in the vicinity of Jinack village in the North Bank area and it was afterwards located "grounded on a sandbank", the nation's defense ministry said in a statement.
96 individuals were pulled to safety and a rescue operation continues for those still missing who were aboard the shipwrecked vessel that was heading towards Spain's Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African asylum seekers attempting to get to European nations.
Close to 47,000 individuals arrived at the Canaries in 2024 and figures suggest more than nine thousand individuals perished in the attempt.
Rescue Operation
In the aftermath of the disaster, The Gambian Navy began a rescue mission, involving multiple navy ships and a fishing boat that came to assist, the defense officials reported.
Officials state several of the victims are not Gambian nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The remains of the seven individuals who died have been retrieved, and ten of the survivors are reported to be in grave health and receiving urgent medical care.
A Frequent Pathway
The Gambia is a frequent corridor used by asylum seekers trying to reach European countries, typically through perilous trips across ocean and terrain.
In recent years, the European Union has reached agreements with multiple North African countries designed to curtailing irregular migration.
