No fewer than seven souls lost their lives and numerous others are missing in the wake of a craft ferrying around 200 migrants seeking to enter the European continent capsized off the coast of The Gambia, reports confirm.
The craft flipped late Wednesday night in the vicinity of the village of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was afterwards located "stranded on a sandbar", the Gambian military authorities stated in a release.
Nearly one hundred people have been saved to date and a search is continuing for those still missing who were on board the shipwrecked vessel that was en route to the Spanish Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic Ocean has become an increasingly common route for African migrants trying to reach the EU.
Almost forty-seven thousand migrants made it to the Canary Islands in 2024 and estimates in excess of nine thousand individuals perished in the attempt.
Search and Rescue Efforts
After Wednesday's accident, the navy launched a search operation, deploying several naval vessels 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 identities are still being verified.
The deceased of the seven victims who perished at sea have been recovered, and ten of the survivors are reported to be in serious condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Frequent Pathway
This West African nation is one of the routes used by migrants attempting to enter Europe, typically through dangerous journeys by sea and land.
Over the past few years, the EU has reached agreements with a number of North African countries aimed at reducing undocumented migration.
