No fewer than seven individuals have died and a significant number are missing after a craft carrying about two hundred people seeking to enter Europe sank near the shoreline of the Gambian coast, officials state.
The craft flipped late Wednesday night close to Jinack in the northern bank region and it was later found "beached on a shoal", the nation's defense ministry said in a statement.
Ninety-six people have been saved to date and a search is continuing for other passengers who were traveling on the capsized craft that was bound for the Spanish Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African migrants attempting to get to the EU.
Close to 47,000 individuals made it to the Canary Islands in the year 2024 and figures suggest over 9,000 people have lost their lives in the attempt.
Search and Rescue Efforts
In the aftermath of the disaster, Gambia's naval forces began a rescue mission, deploying a number of military boats and a commercial fishing craft that offered help, the defense officials said.
Officials state some of the deceased are not from The Gambia and that their details are still being checked.
The remains of the seven victims who perished at sea were found, and a dozen of the saved are described as being in serious condition and receiving urgent medical care.
An Established Corridor
Gambia is a common pathway utilized by migrants trying to reach the EU, typically through perilous trips over water and land.
In recent years, the EU has reached agreements with a number of North African countries designed to curtailing undocumented migration.
