A minimum of seven souls lost their lives and many others remain unaccounted for following a craft ferrying about two hundred migrants seeking to enter European shores capsized off the coast of Gambia, reports confirm.
The craft flipped late Wednesday night close to the village of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was subsequently discovered "beached on a shoal", the Gambian military authorities announced officially.
Nearly one hundred people have been rescued so far and a hunt is ongoing for those still missing who were aboard the sunken boat that was heading towards the Spanish Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic Ocean has emerged as a rising pathway for African migrants trying to reach Europe.
Close to 47,000 individuals arrived at the Canaries in the year 2024 and estimates in excess of 9,000 migrants have lost their lives in the attempt.
Rescue Operation
Following the Wednesday incident, The Gambian Navy began a search operation, involving a number of military boats and a fishing boat that came to assist, the defense officials reported.
Authorities say some of the deceased are not from The Gambia and that their identities are still being verified.
The deceased of the seven individuals who died were found, and ten of the survivors are said to be in serious condition and getting immediate medical attention.
An Established Corridor
Gambia is a frequent corridor used by asylum seekers attempting to enter European countries, often on perilous trips over water and land.
Over the past few years, the European bloc has reached agreements with multiple North African countries with the goal of curtailing undocumented migration.
