At least seven people lost their lives and a significant number are missing in the wake of a craft ferrying around two hundred people attempting to reach European shores overturned near the shoreline of the Gambian coast, officials state.
The craft flipped late Wednesday night close to Jinack village in the northern bank region and it was subsequently discovered "beached on a shoal", the Gambian military authorities said in a statement.
Nearly one hundred people have been rescued so far and a search is continuing for those still missing who were on board the shipwrecked vessel that was heading towards the Spanish Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic Ocean has emerged as a rising pathway for migrants from Africa attempting to get to Europe.
Nearly 47,000 individuals arrived at the Spanish archipelago in 2024 and figures suggest over 9,000 migrants perished during the journey.
Ongoing Mission
In the aftermath of the disaster, the navy initiated a search-and-rescue operation, deploying a number of military boats and a commercial fishing craft that came to assist, the military said.
Authorities say several of the victims are not from The Gambia and that their identities are still being verified.
The bodies of the seven victims who died have been recovered, and a dozen of the saved are reported to be in grave health and getting immediate medical attention.
An Established Corridor
Gambia is a frequent corridor taken by migrants seeking to get to the EU, typically through dangerous journeys across ocean and terrain.
Recently, the European bloc has reached agreements with multiple North African nations aimed at reducing irregular migration.
