No fewer than seven people lost their lives and many others are missing after a vessel transporting around two hundred migrants trying to get to European shores overturned near the shoreline of Gambia, authorities say.
The vessel capsized late Wednesday night in the vicinity of Jinack in the North Bank area and it was subsequently discovered "grounded on a sandbank", the Gambian military authorities stated in a release.
Nearly one hundred people have been rescued so far and a search is continuing for those still missing who were aboard the shipwrecked vessel that was bound for the Spanish Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic Ocean has emerged as a rising pathway for migrants from Africa trying to reach Europe.
Close to 47,000 people reached the Canaries in 2024 and data indicates more than 9,000 people have died during the journey.
Rescue Operation
After Wednesday's accident, Gambia's naval forces initiated a search operation, deploying several naval vessels and a fishing boat that came to assist, the defence ministry reported.
Reports indicate some of the deceased are not Gambian nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The deceased of the seven people who perished at sea were found, and a dozen of the saved are reported to be in grave health and undergoing emergency treatment.
An Established Corridor
Gambia is a frequent corridor taken by asylum seekers attempting to enter Europe, typically through perilous trips by sea and land.
Over the past few years, the European bloc has established pacts with multiple Maghreb states with the goal of reducing undocumented migration.
