A minimum of seven souls have died and many others are lost following a vessel carrying around 200 people trying to get to the European continent sank off the coast of The Gambia, reports confirm.
The craft flipped on Wednesday midnight near Jinack in the North Bank area 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 hunt is ongoing for other passengers who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was en route to Spain's Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African migrants attempting to get to European nations.
Almost forty-seven thousand migrants arrived at the Spanish archipelago in 2024 and data indicates more than 9,000 people have lost their lives in the attempt.
Search and Rescue Efforts
After Wednesday's accident, The Gambian Navy initiated a search-and-rescue operation, involving multiple navy ships and a fishing boat that came to assist, the defence ministry said.
Authorities say a number of those who died are foreign nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The remains of the seven victims who perished at sea were found, and ten of the survivors are described as being in critical condition and getting immediate medical attention.
A Frequent Pathway
This West African nation is a frequent corridor used by migrants attempting to enter Europe, often on hazardous voyages by sea and land.
In recent years, the European Union has forged deals with a number of North African nations designed to curtailing illegal migration.
