No fewer than seven individuals lost their lives and many others remain unaccounted for in the wake of a vessel transporting around two hundred migrants seeking to enter the European continent capsized near the shoreline of The Gambia, reports confirm.
The craft flipped on Wednesday midnight close to the village of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was subsequently discovered "beached on a shoal", the Gambian military authorities announced officially.
96 individuals have been saved to date and a hunt is ongoing for those still missing who were traveling on the capsized craft that was bound for the Canary Islands of Spain.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic Ocean has emerged as a rising pathway for migrants from Africa seeking entry into European nations.
Close to forty-seven thousand migrants made it to the Canary Islands in the year 2024 and figures suggest over nine thousand individuals perished trying.
Rescue Operation
After Wednesday's accident, the navy initiated a rescue mission, involving several naval vessels and a fishing vessel that joined the effort, the defence ministry said.
Officials state several of the victims are not Gambian nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The deceased of the seven victims who perished at sea were found, and 10 of those rescued are described as being in grave health and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Frequent Pathway
This West African nation is a frequent corridor utilized by migrants attempting to enter European countries, frequently via perilous trips across ocean and terrain.
Recently, the EU has reached agreements with several Maghreb states designed to reducing irregular migration.
