A minimum of seven individuals lost their lives and a significant number are missing following a vessel ferrying approximately two hundred migrants attempting to reach the European continent sank off the coast of The Gambia, reports confirm.
The craft flipped on Wednesday midnight close to Jinack village in the North Bank Region and it was subsequently discovered "stranded on a sandbar", the nation's defense ministry said in a statement.
Nearly one hundred people have been rescued so far and a search is continuing for those still missing who were on board the shipwrecked vessel that was heading towards the Canary Islands of Spain.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African asylum seekers seeking entry into the EU.
Close to 47,000 people arrived at the Canary Islands in the year 2024 and data indicates in excess of 9,000 migrants have died trying.
Search and Rescue Efforts
In the aftermath of the disaster, Gambia's naval forces initiated a rescue mission, using multiple navy ships and a commercial fishing craft that came to assist, the defense officials reported.
Officials state a number of those who died are not from The Gambia and that their details are still being checked.
The remains of the seven individuals who died have been recovered, and a dozen of the saved are said to be in critical condition and receiving urgent medical care.
A Common Migration Route
This West African nation is a frequent corridor utilized by migrants seeking to get to European countries, typically through hazardous voyages by sea and land.
In recent years, the European bloc has reached agreements with a number of North African countries aimed at limiting undocumented migration.
