A minimum of seven individuals lost their lives and a significant number are lost following a vessel carrying around 200 migrants seeking to enter Europe sank in waters near Gambia, reports confirm.
The vessel capsized on Wednesday midnight close to Jinack in the northern bank region and it was subsequently discovered "stranded on a sandbar", the nation's defense ministry said in a statement.
Nearly one hundred people were pulled to safety and a search is continuing for the remaining passengers who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was en route to Spain's Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African asylum seekers seeking entry into European nations.
Almost 47,000 people arrived at the Canaries in 2024 and figures suggest over 9,000 migrants perished trying.
Ongoing Mission
After Wednesday's accident, the navy initiated a search-and-rescue operation, involving multiple navy ships and a fishing boat that joined the effort, the defense officials confirmed.
Reports indicate some of the deceased are not from The Gambia and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The bodies of the seven people who perished at sea have been retrieved, and a dozen of the saved are described as being in grave health and receiving urgent medical care.
An Established Corridor
Gambia is a common pathway used by migrants trying to reach Europe, typically through dangerous journeys over water and land.
Recently, the European Union has reached agreements with multiple Maghreb states designed to reducing undocumented migration.
