A minimum of seven souls have perished and numerous others are lost following a vessel carrying around 200 migrants attempting to reach European shores capsized near the shoreline of the Gambian coast, authorities say.
The craft flipped in the early hours of Thursday close to the village of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was subsequently discovered "beached on a shoal", the Gambian military authorities said in a statement.
96 individuals were pulled to safety and a hunt is ongoing for the remaining passengers who were aboard the shipwrecked vessel that was heading towards Spain's Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic Ocean has emerged as a rising pathway for African migrants attempting to get to Europe.
Close to forty-seven thousand migrants made it to the Spanish archipelago in 2024 and figures suggest in excess of nine thousand individuals perished trying.
Ongoing Mission
Following the Wednesday incident, the navy initiated a search-and-rescue operation, using a number of military boats and a commercial fishing craft that joined the effort, the defense officials confirmed.
Reports indicate a number of those who died are foreign nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The bodies of the seven people who drowned have been recovered, and 10 of those rescued are said to be in grave health and getting immediate medical attention.
A Frequent Pathway
Gambia is a frequent corridor utilized by migrants seeking to get to the EU, typically through dangerous journeys over water and land.
Over the past few years, the EU has forged deals with a number of North African nations with the goal of curtailing illegal migration.
