A minimum of seven people have died and a significant number are lost in the wake of a craft ferrying around two hundred people trying to get to European shores capsized in waters near the Gambian coast, reports confirm.
The craft flipped in the early hours of Thursday in the vicinity of the village of Jinack in the North Bank area and it was later found "stranded on a sandbar", the country's defence ministry stated in a release.
96 individuals have been rescued so far and a rescue operation continues for other passengers who were aboard the capsized craft that was en route to the Spanish Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African asylum seekers trying to reach European nations.
Almost forty-seven thousand migrants arrived at the Canary Islands in 2024 and figures suggest over 9,000 migrants perished trying.
Rescue Operation
In the aftermath of the disaster, The Gambian Navy launched a rescue mission, deploying multiple navy ships and a commercial fishing craft that joined the effort, the defence ministry confirmed.
Reports indicate some of the deceased are not Gambian nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The remains of the seven victims who perished at sea have been recovered, and a dozen of the saved are said to be in serious condition and receiving urgent medical care.
An Established Corridor
Gambia is a common pathway used by migrants attempting to enter Europe, frequently via hazardous voyages across ocean and terrain.
Recently, the EU has forged deals with multiple North African countries aimed at reducing illegal migration.