No fewer than seven people have perished and many others are missing in the wake of a craft transporting about 200 people seeking to enter the European continent sank near the shoreline of the Gambian coast, authorities say.
The vessel capsized in the early hours of Thursday in the vicinity of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was subsequently discovered "beached on a shoal", the Gambian military authorities stated in a release.
Nearly one hundred people were pulled to safety 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 dangerous voyage over the Atlantic Ocean has become an increasingly common route for African asylum seekers attempting to get to European nations.
Nearly 47,000 people made it to the Canaries in the year 2024 and estimates in excess of 9,000 migrants perished during the journey.
Ongoing Mission
In the aftermath of the disaster, the navy launched a search operation, using a number of military boats and a fishing boat that joined the effort, the military said.
Officials state some of the deceased are not Gambian nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The remains of the seven individuals who drowned were found, and ten of the survivors are reported to be in grave health and getting immediate medical attention.
A Common Migration Route
The Gambia is a frequent corridor taken by migrants attempting to enter Europe, typically through hazardous voyages by sea and land.
Over the past few years, the EU has established pacts with several North African nations aimed at limiting undocumented migration.
