A minimum of seven souls have died and many others are lost in the wake of a vessel transporting around 200 migrants trying to get to Europe capsized in waters near Gambia, reports confirm.
The vessel capsized on Wednesday midnight in the vicinity of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was subsequently discovered "beached on a shoal", the nation's defense ministry announced officially.
Nearly one hundred people have been rescued so far and a hunt is ongoing for those still missing who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was heading towards the Canary Islands of Spain.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African migrants attempting to get to Europe.
Nearly 47,000 individuals arrived at the Spanish archipelago in 2024 and estimates over 9,000 people have lost their lives during the journey.
Ongoing Mission
In the aftermath of the disaster, Gambia's naval forces began a search operation, using several naval vessels and a commercial fishing craft that came to assist, the defence ministry confirmed.
Officials state some of the deceased are foreign nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The remains of the seven people who died have been recovered, and 10 of those rescued are reported to be in serious condition and receiving urgent medical care.
A Common Migration Route
This West African nation is a frequent corridor used by asylum seekers seeking to get to European countries, typically through hazardous voyages by sea and land.
In recent years, the European bloc has reached agreements with several Maghreb states aimed at curtailing irregular migration.
