No fewer than seven souls have perished and many others remain unaccounted for following a craft ferrying approximately 200 people attempting to reach European shores sank in waters near Gambia, reports confirm.
The craft flipped in the early hours of Thursday in the vicinity of Jinack village in the North Bank Region and it was later found "beached on a shoal", the country's defence ministry said in a statement.
Nearly one hundred people have been saved to date and a hunt is ongoing for other 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 seeking entry into European nations.
Nearly 47,000 individuals arrived at the Canary Islands in 2024 and estimates more than 9,000 migrants have died trying.
Search and Rescue Efforts
In the aftermath of the disaster, The Gambian Navy launched a rescue mission, deploying multiple navy ships and a fishing boat that came to assist, the defense officials reported.
Reports indicate 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 recovered, and 10 of those rescued are reported to be in critical condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
An Established Corridor
The Gambia is a frequent corridor used by migrants seeking to get to the EU, typically through perilous trips by sea and land.
In recent years, the EU has established pacts with several Maghreb states aimed at reducing irregular migration.
