A minimum of seven people have died and numerous others are missing following a craft ferrying around 200 migrants trying to get to European shores capsized in waters near Gambia, reports confirm.
The craft flipped in the early hours of Thursday in the vicinity of the village of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was afterwards located "grounded on a sandbank", the nation's defense ministry stated in a release.
Ninety-six people have been rescued so far and a hunt is ongoing for other passengers who were aboard the sunken boat that was heading towards the Canary Islands of Spain.
The perilous journey over the the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African asylum seekers seeking entry into the EU.
Almost forty-seven thousand migrants arrived at the Canaries in the year 2024 and data indicates more than nine thousand individuals have died trying.
Search and Rescue Efforts
After Wednesday's accident, Gambia's naval forces began a rescue mission, using several naval vessels and a fishing boat that offered help, the defense officials confirmed.
Authorities say several of the victims are not from The Gambia and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The deceased of the seven individuals who perished at sea have been retrieved, and 10 of those rescued are said to be in critical condition and receiving urgent medical care.
A Common Migration Route
The Gambia is a common pathway utilized by asylum seekers attempting to enter the EU, frequently via dangerous journeys over water and land.
In recent years, the European Union has reached agreements with several North African nations designed to curtailing irregular migration.
