No fewer than seven individuals have perished and many others are missing after a vessel ferrying approximately 200 migrants seeking to enter European shores overturned near the shoreline of the Gambian coast, reports confirm.
The craft flipped in the early hours of Thursday near the village of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was later found "beached on a shoal", the country's defence ministry announced officially.
Nearly one hundred people have been rescued so far and a hunt is ongoing for the remaining passengers who were traveling on the capsized craft that was bound for the Spanish Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African migrants seeking entry into European nations.
Almost 47,000 people reached the Spanish archipelago in the year 2024 and data indicates over nine thousand individuals perished in the attempt.
Search and Rescue Efforts
Following the Wednesday incident, The Gambian Navy began a search operation, deploying a number of military boats and a fishing vessel that came to assist, the defense officials said.
Reports indicate a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The deceased of the seven victims who died have been recovered, and ten of the survivors are described as being in critical condition and receiving urgent medical care.
A Frequent Pathway
The Gambia is one of the routes utilized by migrants trying to reach Europe, often on perilous trips across ocean and terrain.
In recent years, the European bloc has forged deals with several North African nations designed to reducing undocumented migration.
