At least seven souls have perished and numerous others remain unaccounted for in the wake of a vessel ferrying around 200 migrants trying to get to European shores capsized in waters near the Gambian coast, authorities say.
The vessel capsized on Wednesday midnight near Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was later found "grounded on a sandbank", the nation's defense ministry said in a statement.
Ninety-six people were pulled to safety and a search is continuing for other passengers who were on board the capsized craft that was heading towards the Spanish 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 Canary Islands in the year 2024 and estimates in excess of 9,000 migrants have died in the attempt.
Search and Rescue Efforts
In the aftermath of the disaster, the navy launched a rescue mission, involving several naval vessels and a commercial fishing craft that came to assist, the defence ministry said.
Officials state several of the victims are foreign nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The deceased of the seven people who died have been recovered, and ten of the survivors are reported to be in grave health and undergoing emergency treatment.
An Established Corridor
This West African nation is a frequent corridor utilized by migrants trying to reach the EU, typically through hazardous voyages by sea and land.
Recently, the EU has reached agreements with multiple North African nations aimed at curtailing undocumented migration.
