A minimum of seven individuals lost their lives and many others are missing after a craft carrying approximately two hundred migrants attempting to reach European shores capsized in waters near The Gambia, authorities say.
The vessel capsized in the early hours of Thursday close to Jinack village in the northern bank region and it was afterwards located "beached on a shoal", the country's defence ministry stated in a release.
Ninety-six people were pulled to safety and a search is continuing for those still missing who were traveling on the sunken boat that was heading towards Spain's Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African migrants trying to reach the EU.
Nearly 47,000 individuals made it to the Spanish archipelago in 2024 and estimates over 9,000 migrants have died during the journey.
Rescue Operation
In the aftermath of the disaster, the navy initiated a search operation, involving multiple navy ships and a fishing vessel that came to assist, the defence ministry reported.
Officials state a number of those who died are foreign nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The remains of the seven individuals who died have been retrieved, and ten of the survivors are described as being in critical condition and getting immediate medical attention.
An Established Corridor
The Gambia is one of the routes taken by asylum seekers seeking to get to Europe, often on hazardous voyages by sea and land.
Over the past few years, the EU has reached agreements with several North African countries designed to curtailing undocumented migration.
