No fewer than seven people have died and numerous others remain unaccounted for following a vessel ferrying about 200 people seeking to enter European shores overturned off the coast of The Gambia, reports confirm.
The vessel capsized late Wednesday night in the vicinity of the village of Jinack in the North Bank area and it was afterwards located "stranded on a sandbar", the nation's defense ministry stated in a release.
Ninety-six people have been rescued so far and a rescue operation continues for other passengers who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was en route to the Canary Islands of Spain.
The hazardous trip over the the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African asylum seekers attempting to get to European nations.
Almost 47,000 people made it to the Canary Islands in the year 2024 and estimates in excess of 9,000 migrants have lost their lives in the attempt.
Ongoing Mission
Following the Wednesday incident, the navy began a rescue mission, involving multiple navy ships and a fishing vessel that came to assist, the military said.
Officials state several of the victims are foreign nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The bodies of the seven victims who drowned have been retrieved, and a dozen of the saved are described as being in critical condition and receiving urgent medical care.
An Established Corridor
The Gambia is a frequent corridor used by migrants attempting to enter European countries, typically through dangerous journeys by sea and land.
Over the past few years, the European Union has forged deals with several North African nations with the goal of limiting illegal migration.
