A minimum of seven individuals have died and a significant number are missing after a craft carrying about two hundred migrants trying to get to Europe sank in waters near Gambia, officials state.
The vessel capsized late Wednesday night close to the village of Jinack in the North Bank area and it was subsequently discovered "beached on a shoal", the Gambian military authorities said in a statement.
96 individuals were pulled to safety and a rescue operation continues for the remaining passengers who were aboard the shipwrecked vessel that was bound for Spain's Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for migrants from Africa seeking entry into the EU.
Close to 47,000 people arrived at the Spanish archipelago in 2024 and data indicates more than nine thousand individuals perished during the journey.
Rescue Operation
After Wednesday's accident, the navy initiated a search-and-rescue operation, using a number of military boats and a fishing vessel that came to assist, the defense officials confirmed.
Authorities say a number of those who died are foreign nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The deceased of the seven people who drowned were found, and a dozen of the saved are described as being in serious condition and receiving urgent medical care.
A Frequent Pathway
This West African nation is a common pathway utilized by migrants seeking to get to the EU, typically through dangerous journeys across ocean and terrain.
Over the past few years, the European bloc has established pacts with a number of North African nations with the goal of curtailing undocumented migration.
