A minimum of seven souls have perished and many others are missing after a craft ferrying about 200 migrants seeking to enter the European continent capsized off the coast of the Gambian coast, authorities say.
The craft flipped in the early hours of Thursday near Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was afterwards located "stranded on a sandbar", the Gambian military authorities stated in a release.
96 individuals were pulled to safety and a rescue operation continues for other passengers who were aboard the capsized craft that was en route to the Spanish Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African asylum seekers trying to reach the EU.
Close to 47,000 people arrived at the Canary Islands in the year 2024 and figures suggest more than nine thousand individuals have died in the attempt.
Search and Rescue Efforts
After Wednesday's accident, Gambia's naval forces launched a rescue mission, using multiple navy ships and a fishing vessel that came to assist, the defence ministry confirmed.
Authorities say several of the victims are not from The Gambia and that their details are still being checked.
The remains of the seven victims who died have been recovered, and 10 of those rescued are said to be in grave health and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Common Migration Route
This West African nation is a common pathway taken by migrants seeking to get to Europe, typically through perilous trips by sea and land.
Over the past few years, the European bloc has reached agreements with multiple North African countries designed to reducing irregular migration.
