At least seven individuals lost their lives and a significant number are lost after a vessel ferrying around 200 migrants seeking to enter Europe sank off the coast of The Gambia, authorities say.
The vessel capsized late Wednesday night close to the village of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was afterwards located "beached on a shoal", the Gambian military authorities stated in a release.
96 individuals were pulled to safety and a hunt is ongoing for other passengers who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was bound for Spain's Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic Ocean has grown into a more frequent path for migrants from Africa attempting to get to the EU.
Almost 47,000 individuals arrived at the Canaries in the year 2024 and figures suggest in excess of nine thousand individuals have lost their lives in the attempt.
Rescue Operation
After Wednesday's accident, The Gambian Navy began a search-and-rescue operation, involving multiple navy ships and a commercial fishing craft that offered help, the military confirmed.
Officials state a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The bodies of the seven individuals who drowned were found, and a dozen of the saved are said to be in critical condition and getting immediate medical attention.
A Frequent Pathway
Gambia is a frequent corridor utilized by migrants attempting to enter the EU, frequently via perilous trips across ocean and terrain.
Recently, the EU has reached agreements with a number of North African countries designed to reducing illegal migration.
