At least seven people have died and many others are missing in the wake of a boat carrying around two hundred migrants trying to get to the European continent capsized near the shoreline of the Gambian coast, reports confirm.
The vessel capsized on Wednesday midnight near Jinack village in the North Bank Region and it was afterwards located "beached on a shoal", the Gambian military authorities said in a statement.
96 individuals have been saved to date and a search is continuing for those still missing who were on board the shipwrecked vessel that was heading towards the Canary Islands of Spain.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African asylum seekers seeking entry into Europe.
Almost forty-seven thousand migrants made it to the Canaries in 2024 and estimates over 9,000 migrants have died trying.
Search and Rescue Efforts
After Wednesday's accident, Gambia's naval forces launched a search-and-rescue operation, deploying a number of military boats and a commercial fishing craft that joined the effort, the military confirmed.
Authorities say a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The remains of the seven people who died have been retrieved, and 10 of those rescued are described as being in critical condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
An Established Corridor
Gambia is a frequent corridor utilized by migrants trying to reach the EU, frequently via hazardous voyages by sea and land.
Recently, the European bloc has reached agreements with a number of North African countries with the goal of limiting undocumented migration.
