No fewer than seven people have died and a significant number are missing following a vessel transporting about 200 migrants seeking to enter European shores capsized off the coast of the Gambian coast, reports confirm.
The craft flipped on Wednesday midnight near Jinack village in the northern bank region and it was later found "grounded on a sandbank", the Gambian military authorities said in a statement.
96 individuals have been saved to date and a search is continuing for the remaining passengers who were aboard the capsized craft that was en route to Spain's Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for migrants from Africa attempting to get to European nations.
Close to forty-seven thousand migrants arrived at the Spanish archipelago in 2024 and estimates over nine thousand individuals have lost their lives trying.
Rescue Operation
Following the Wednesday incident, the navy began a rescue mission, involving multiple navy ships and a commercial fishing craft that joined the effort, the military reported.
Officials state some of the deceased are foreign nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The bodies of the seven victims who drowned have been retrieved, and 10 of those rescued are said to be in serious condition and getting immediate medical attention.
An Established Corridor
The Gambia is a frequent corridor used by asylum seekers attempting to enter European countries, frequently via hazardous voyages over water and land.
Recently, the EU has established pacts with a number of North African countries with the goal of limiting illegal migration.
