No fewer than seven individuals lost their lives and a significant number are missing after a vessel transporting around two hundred migrants trying to get to European shores capsized in waters near The Gambia, authorities say.
The vessel capsized late Wednesday night near Jinack village in the North Bank Region and it was subsequently discovered "grounded on a sandbank", the nation's defense ministry stated in a release.
96 individuals have been rescued so far and a rescue operation continues for those still missing who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was bound for Spain's Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African migrants attempting to get to European nations.
Close to forty-seven thousand migrants made it to the Canary Islands in the year 2024 and data indicates in excess of nine thousand individuals have lost their lives during the journey.
Ongoing Mission
After Wednesday's accident, Gambia's naval forces initiated a search-and-rescue operation, using several naval vessels and a commercial fishing craft that joined the effort, the defence ministry said.
Officials state several of the victims are foreign nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The bodies of the seven victims who perished at sea have been retrieved, and a dozen of the saved are reported to be in serious condition and getting immediate medical attention.
A Frequent Pathway
The Gambia is a common pathway used by migrants attempting to enter the EU, frequently via hazardous voyages by sea and land.
Recently, the European Union has forged deals with a number of North African countries designed to curtailing illegal migration.
