A minimum of seven individuals have perished and many others remain unaccounted for following a vessel ferrying approximately two hundred migrants trying to get to European shores sank in waters near the Gambian coast, officials state.
The vessel capsized late Wednesday night in the vicinity of Jinack village in the northern bank region and it was subsequently discovered "stranded on a sandbar", the country's defence ministry said in a statement.
Nearly one hundred people have been saved to date and a rescue operation continues for the remaining passengers who were aboard the shipwrecked vessel that was heading towards Spain's Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African asylum seekers trying to reach Europe.
Close to 47,000 individuals made it to the Spanish archipelago in 2024 and data indicates over 9,000 migrants have lost their lives in the attempt.
Ongoing Mission
After Wednesday's accident, the navy launched a rescue mission, using a number of military boats and a fishing boat that offered help, the defence ministry reported.
Officials state several of the victims are not from The Gambia and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The bodies of the seven victims who perished at sea have been recovered, and ten of the survivors are said to be in grave health and undergoing emergency treatment.
An Established Corridor
The Gambia is a frequent corridor utilized by asylum seekers attempting to enter Europe, typically through perilous trips across ocean and terrain.
Over the past few years, the European bloc has established pacts with several North African countries designed to limiting illegal migration.
