At least seven individuals have perished and a significant number are lost in the wake of a craft ferrying about two hundred people trying to get to the European continent sank near the shoreline of The Gambia, authorities say.
The craft flipped in the early hours of Thursday in the vicinity of Jinack village in the North Bank area and it was afterwards located "beached on a shoal", the Gambian military authorities stated in a release.
96 individuals have been rescued so far and a rescue operation continues for the remaining passengers who were aboard the sunken boat that was en route to Spain's Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for migrants from Africa trying to reach European nations.
Almost 47,000 individuals made it to the Canary Islands in 2024 and estimates more than 9,000 people perished trying.
Rescue Operation
Following the Wednesday incident, Gambia's naval forces began a search-and-rescue operation, involving several naval vessels and a fishing boat that offered help, the military said.
Officials state several of the victims are not from The Gambia and that their details are still being checked.
The remains of the seven people who drowned have been recovered, and 10 of those rescued are reported to be in critical condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
An Established Corridor
This West African nation is a common pathway utilized by asylum seekers seeking to get to the EU, typically through dangerous journeys over water and land.
Over the past few years, the European Union has forged deals with a number of North African nations with the goal of limiting irregular migration.
