A minimum of seven individuals lost their lives and many others remain unaccounted for in the wake of a vessel carrying around two hundred migrants attempting to reach Europe sank near the shoreline of the Gambian coast, reports confirm.
The craft flipped on Wednesday midnight in the vicinity of the village of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was later found "beached on a shoal", the country's defence ministry stated in a release.
Nearly one hundred people were pulled to safety and a search is continuing for the remaining passengers who were aboard the shipwrecked vessel that was heading towards Spain's Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African migrants seeking entry into the EU.
Close to 47,000 people arrived at the Spanish archipelago in 2024 and data indicates more than 9,000 people have lost their lives in the attempt.
Search and Rescue Efforts
After Wednesday's accident, The Gambian Navy initiated a rescue mission, involving multiple navy ships and a fishing boat that offered help, the defense officials reported.
Officials state some of the deceased are not from The Gambia and that their details are still being checked.
The deceased of the seven victims who drowned have been retrieved, and 10 of those rescued are said to be in grave health and receiving urgent medical care.
A Common Migration Route
Gambia is a common pathway taken by migrants seeking to get to European countries, frequently via dangerous journeys over water and land.
In recent years, the European bloc has established pacts with several North African countries designed to reducing irregular migration.
