No fewer than seven individuals have died and a significant number remain unaccounted for following a craft transporting around two hundred migrants trying to get to the European continent sank in waters near Gambia, reports confirm.
The craft flipped late Wednesday night in the vicinity of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was later found "beached on a shoal", the nation's defense ministry announced officially.
96 individuals have been rescued so far and a rescue operation continues for the remaining passengers who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was heading towards Spain's Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for migrants from Africa attempting to get to Europe.
Nearly forty-seven thousand migrants made it to the Spanish archipelago in 2024 and data indicates more than nine thousand individuals have died during the journey.
Ongoing Mission
In the aftermath of the disaster, the navy began a search operation, involving several naval vessels and a commercial fishing craft that came to assist, the defense officials reported.
Authorities say some of the deceased are foreign nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The deceased of the seven individuals who drowned have been retrieved, and 10 of those rescued are described as being in serious condition and receiving urgent medical care.
An Established Corridor
Gambia is one of the routes taken by asylum seekers trying to reach Europe, often on dangerous journeys over water and land.
In recent years, the European Union has forged deals with a number of North African nations aimed at curtailing irregular migration.
