At least seven souls have died and many others remain unaccounted for following a craft ferrying approximately two hundred people seeking to enter Europe overturned near the shoreline of Gambia, reports confirm.
The vessel capsized in the early hours of Thursday in the vicinity of Jinack village in the North Bank area and it was later found "beached on a shoal", the country's defence ministry said in a statement.
Nearly one hundred people were pulled to safety and a rescue operation continues for other passengers who were on board the capsized craft that was bound for Spain's Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African asylum seekers trying to reach the EU.
Almost 47,000 people made it to the Spanish archipelago in the year 2024 and data indicates over 9,000 people have lost their lives during the journey.
Rescue Operation
Following the Wednesday incident, The Gambian Navy initiated a rescue mission, deploying several naval vessels and a fishing boat that came to assist, the military confirmed.
Reports indicate some of the deceased are foreign nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The remains of the seven people who drowned were found, and a dozen of the saved are described as being in serious condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Frequent Pathway
The Gambia is a frequent corridor taken by migrants attempting to enter European countries, frequently via perilous trips across ocean and terrain.
Over the past few years, the EU has reached agreements with multiple Maghreb states designed to curtailing illegal migration.
