No fewer than seven souls have perished and a significant number are missing after a vessel transporting around 200 migrants attempting to reach the European continent sank off the coast of the Gambian coast, authorities say.
The vessel capsized late Wednesday night near Jinack village in the northern bank region and it was subsequently discovered "grounded on a sandbank", the Gambian military authorities announced officially.
96 individuals have been rescued so far and a hunt is ongoing for those still missing who were aboard the shipwrecked vessel that was en route to the Spanish Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African asylum seekers trying to reach the EU.
Close to 47,000 individuals reached the Canary Islands in 2024 and figures suggest over nine thousand individuals perished during the journey.
Rescue Operation
Following the Wednesday incident, The Gambian Navy initiated a search-and-rescue operation, deploying a number of military boats and a fishing vessel that offered help, the defence ministry said.
Reports indicate a number of those who died are foreign nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The bodies of the seven victims who died have been recovered, and 10 of those rescued are reported to be in serious condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Common Migration Route
Gambia is a common pathway used by asylum seekers trying to reach European countries, frequently via dangerous journeys over water and land.
Over the past few years, the European bloc has reached agreements with several Maghreb states designed to reducing irregular migration.
