No fewer than seven people have perished and numerous others are lost after a craft carrying around two hundred migrants trying to get to the European continent overturned near the shoreline of Gambia, reports confirm.
The craft flipped on Wednesday midnight near the village of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was later found "grounded on a sandbank", the country's defence ministry said in a statement.
96 individuals have been saved to date and a rescue operation continues for the remaining passengers who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was heading towards the Canary Islands of Spain.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African asylum seekers seeking entry into European nations.
Close to forty-seven thousand migrants arrived at the Canaries in the year 2024 and figures suggest in excess of 9,000 people perished in the attempt.
Ongoing Mission
Following the Wednesday incident, the navy initiated a search-and-rescue operation, deploying several naval vessels and a commercial fishing craft that joined the effort, the defense officials reported.
Officials state some of the deceased are not from The Gambia and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The deceased of the seven individuals who perished at sea have been retrieved, and 10 of those rescued are reported to be in critical condition and receiving urgent medical care.
A Frequent Pathway
The Gambia is a frequent corridor taken by asylum seekers seeking to get to Europe, often on hazardous voyages over water and land.
Recently, the European bloc has established pacts with multiple North African nations aimed at limiting irregular migration.
