No fewer than seven people have died and numerous others remain unaccounted for in the wake of a vessel ferrying about 200 migrants trying to get to Europe capsized in waters near the Gambian coast, reports confirm.
The vessel capsized on Wednesday midnight in the vicinity of Jinack village in the North Bank area and it was later found "stranded on a sandbar", the country's defence ministry stated in a release.
Ninety-six people have been rescued so far and a hunt is ongoing for the remaining passengers who were aboard the shipwrecked vessel that was en route to Spain's Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic Ocean has grown into a more frequent path for African asylum seekers trying to reach the EU.
Close to 47,000 individuals reached the Canary Islands in 2024 and data indicates more than 9,000 people have lost their lives trying.
Ongoing Mission
Following the Wednesday incident, Gambia's naval forces initiated a search-and-rescue operation, involving several naval vessels and a fishing boat that offered help, the military reported.
Authorities say a number of those who died are not from The Gambia and that their identities are still being verified.
The bodies of the seven people who drowned were found, and a dozen of the saved are described as being in serious condition and getting immediate medical attention.
A Frequent Pathway
This West African nation is a common pathway utilized by migrants trying to reach European countries, typically through dangerous journeys across ocean and terrain.
Recently, the European bloc has forged deals with a number of Maghreb states designed to limiting undocumented migration.
