A minimum of seven people lost their lives and a significant number are lost after a vessel transporting about 200 migrants trying to get to Europe sank off the coast of the Gambian coast, officials state.
The vessel capsized late Wednesday night close to the village of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was afterwards located "beached on a shoal", the nation's defense ministry announced officially.
Nearly one hundred people have been rescued so far and a search is continuing for those still missing who were traveling on the capsized craft that was bound for the Canary Islands of Spain.
The dangerous voyage over the the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African migrants attempting to get to Europe.
Nearly 47,000 individuals arrived at the Spanish archipelago in 2024 and data indicates in excess of 9,000 migrants have lost their lives trying.
Ongoing Mission
After Wednesday's accident, The Gambian Navy launched a rescue mission, involving multiple navy ships and a fishing boat that came to assist, the defence ministry confirmed.
Authorities say several of the victims are not from The Gambia and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The remains of the seven victims who perished at sea have been retrieved, and a dozen of the saved are reported to be in grave health and receiving urgent medical care.
An Established Corridor
Gambia is one of the routes utilized by migrants attempting to enter the EU, frequently via perilous trips by sea and land.
Over the past few years, the European bloc has reached agreements with several Maghreb states designed to reducing undocumented migration.
