A minimum of seven people lost their lives and a significant number are missing following a craft transporting around two hundred people seeking to enter Europe sank near the shoreline of Gambia, officials state.
The vessel capsized late Wednesday night close to the village of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was later found "beached on a shoal", the country's defence ministry said in a statement.
Nearly one hundred people have been saved to date and a search is continuing for the remaining passengers who were aboard the capsized craft that was en route to the Spanish Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic Ocean has emerged as a rising pathway for African migrants trying to reach Europe.
Close to 47,000 individuals reached the Canaries in the year 2024 and data indicates in excess of 9,000 migrants have lost their lives in the attempt.
Rescue Operation
In the aftermath of the disaster, Gambia's naval forces launched a search-and-rescue operation, deploying a number of military boats and a fishing vessel that joined the effort, the defence ministry confirmed.
Authorities say a number of those who died are foreign nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The remains of the seven individuals who died have been retrieved, and a dozen of the saved are reported to be in grave health and receiving urgent medical care.
A Frequent Pathway
The Gambia is one of the routes utilized by migrants seeking to get to the EU, often on perilous trips over water and land.
Over the past few years, the European bloc has forged deals with several Maghreb states aimed at limiting irregular migration.
