A minimum of seven souls have died and many others are missing following a vessel carrying about 200 people attempting to reach Europe overturned in waters near the Gambian coast, reports confirm.
The vessel capsized late Wednesday night close to the village of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was subsequently discovered "stranded on a sandbar", the nation's defense ministry stated in a release.
96 individuals have been saved to date and a search is continuing for those still missing who were aboard the shipwrecked vessel that was en route to Spain's Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African asylum seekers attempting to get to European nations.
Close to 47,000 people made it to the Canary Islands in the year 2024 and figures suggest over 9,000 migrants have lost their lives trying.
Ongoing Mission
After Wednesday's accident, Gambia's naval forces launched a search operation, involving several naval vessels and a fishing vessel that offered help, 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 victims who perished at sea have been recovered, and a dozen of the saved are described as being in critical condition and getting immediate medical attention.
An Established Corridor
This West African nation is a common pathway taken by migrants attempting to enter European countries, frequently via hazardous voyages across ocean and terrain.
Recently, the European bloc has reached agreements with several North African nations designed to limiting undocumented migration.
