A minimum of seven individuals have perished and numerous others are missing in the wake of a craft ferrying around 200 people seeking to enter the European continent sank near the shoreline of Gambia, reports confirm.
The boat overturned in the early hours of Thursday in the vicinity of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was afterwards located "grounded on a sandbank", the country's defence ministry said in a statement.
96 individuals were pulled to safety and a search is continuing for the remaining passengers who were on board the capsized craft that was bound for Spain's Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for migrants from Africa attempting to get to the EU.
Nearly forty-seven thousand migrants made it to the Canaries in 2024 and data indicates over 9,000 people perished in the attempt.
Rescue Operation
After Wednesday's accident, the navy launched a rescue mission, using multiple navy ships and a fishing vessel that offered help, the defense officials said.
Officials state a number of those who died are not from The Gambia and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The remains of the seven people who died have been recovered, and a dozen of the saved are described as being in serious condition and getting immediate medical attention.
An Established Corridor
This West African nation is one of the routes utilized by migrants seeking to get to European countries, often on dangerous journeys across ocean and terrain.
Recently, the EU has established pacts with a number of North African countries with the goal of curtailing undocumented migration.
