No fewer than seven people lost their lives and numerous others are missing in the wake of a craft ferrying around 200 migrants attempting to reach Europe sank off the coast of Gambia, reports confirm.
The vessel capsized late Wednesday night close to Jinack in the North Bank area and it was afterwards located "grounded on a sandbank", the country's defence ministry stated in a release.
96 individuals were pulled to safety and a rescue operation continues for the remaining passengers who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was en route to the Spanish Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African migrants trying to reach the EU.
Close to forty-seven thousand migrants made it to the Canaries in 2024 and figures suggest more than nine thousand individuals perished during the journey.
Ongoing Mission
After Wednesday's accident, The Gambian Navy initiated a search-and-rescue operation, involving multiple navy ships and a fishing vessel that offered help, the defense officials confirmed.
Officials state a number of those who died are not from The Gambia and that their details are still being checked.
The deceased of the seven victims who perished at sea have been retrieved, and ten of the survivors are said to be in critical condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
An Established Corridor
The Gambia is one of the routes utilized by migrants trying to reach Europe, often on perilous trips over water and land.
Over the past few years, the European bloc has forged deals with a number of North African nations aimed at limiting undocumented migration.
