A minimum of seven individuals lost their lives and a significant number are missing following a vessel transporting approximately 200 migrants trying to get to European shores sank in waters near The Gambia, officials state.
The vessel capsized late Wednesday night in the vicinity of Jinack village in the North Bank Region and it was later found "beached on a shoal", the country's defence ministry said in a statement.
Ninety-six people were pulled to safety and a search is continuing for the remaining passengers who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was en route to the Canary Islands of Spain.
The hazardous trip over the the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for migrants from Africa trying to reach European nations.
Nearly forty-seven thousand migrants made it to the Spanish archipelago in 2024 and data indicates more than nine thousand individuals have died during the journey.
Search and Rescue Efforts
After Wednesday's accident, Gambia's naval forces launched a search operation, using several naval vessels and a fishing vessel that joined the effort, the defense officials confirmed.
Officials state several of the victims are foreign nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The remains of the seven victims who perished at sea have been recovered, and ten of the survivors are described as being in critical condition and receiving urgent medical care.
A Common Migration Route
Gambia is a common pathway used by migrants seeking to get to Europe, frequently via dangerous journeys over water and land.
Over the past few years, the European Union has forged deals with a number of North African nations designed to curtailing undocumented migration.
