No fewer than seven souls have perished and many others remain unaccounted for in the wake of a vessel transporting about 200 people seeking to enter Europe capsized near the shoreline of The Gambia, reports confirm.
The craft flipped late Wednesday night close to Jinack village in the North Bank Region and it was afterwards located "grounded on a sandbank", the Gambian military authorities announced officially.
96 individuals were pulled to safety and a search is continuing for those still missing who were aboard the shipwrecked vessel that was heading towards Spain's Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African migrants seeking entry into European nations.
Almost 47,000 people arrived at the Canaries in the year 2024 and figures suggest over 9,000 people perished in the attempt.
Ongoing Mission
Following the Wednesday incident, the navy launched a rescue mission, using a number of military boats and a fishing boat that offered help, the defense officials said.
Officials state a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The bodies of the seven individuals who perished at sea were found, and ten of the survivors are reported to be in serious condition and receiving urgent medical care.
A Common Migration Route
Gambia is a common pathway used by migrants attempting to enter the EU, often on dangerous journeys over water and land.
Over the past few years, the European bloc has established pacts with multiple North African nations with the goal of limiting irregular migration.
