A minimum of seven individuals have perished and a significant number are lost following a craft ferrying about two hundred people seeking to enter European shores capsized in waters near the Gambian coast, reports confirm.
The vessel capsized on Wednesday midnight near the village of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was afterwards located "beached on a shoal", the Gambian military authorities said in a statement.
96 individuals were pulled to safety and a rescue operation continues for the remaining passengers who were aboard the capsized craft that was en route to the Canary Islands of Spain.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African migrants seeking entry into the EU.
Nearly 47,000 individuals made it to the Canary Islands in 2024 and figures suggest more than 9,000 migrants have died during the journey.
Rescue Operation
In the aftermath of the disaster, Gambia's naval forces initiated a search operation, deploying several naval vessels and a commercial fishing craft that came to assist, the defence ministry said.
Authorities say several of the victims are not from The Gambia and that their identities are still being verified.
The bodies of the seven individuals who died have been retrieved, and ten of the survivors are reported to be in serious condition and getting immediate medical attention.
A Frequent Pathway
The Gambia is one of the routes used by asylum seekers attempting to enter Europe, frequently via hazardous voyages over water and land.
Over the past few years, the European bloc has reached agreements with a number of North African nations aimed at limiting illegal migration.
