A minimum of seven people have died and a significant number are missing following a craft transporting about two hundred migrants attempting to reach the European continent sank near the shoreline of Gambia, authorities say.
The craft flipped on Wednesday midnight near the village of Jinack in the North Bank area and it was subsequently discovered "stranded on a sandbar", the nation's defense ministry stated in a release.
Ninety-six people were pulled to safety and a hunt is ongoing for those still missing who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was heading towards the Canary Islands of Spain.
The dangerous voyage over the the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African migrants attempting to get to European nations.
Nearly 47,000 individuals made it to the Canaries in the year 2024 and figures suggest over nine thousand individuals have lost their lives trying.
Ongoing Mission
Following the Wednesday incident, the navy initiated a search-and-rescue operation, deploying several naval vessels and a fishing vessel that came to assist, the military confirmed.
Reports indicate a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The bodies of the seven individuals who drowned have been retrieved, and ten of the survivors are described as being in critical condition and receiving urgent medical care.
A Frequent Pathway
This West African nation is a common pathway used by migrants attempting to enter European countries, typically through perilous trips over water and land.
Recently, the European bloc has reached agreements with a number of Maghreb states aimed at reducing undocumented migration.
