No fewer than seven people have died and numerous others remain unaccounted for following a vessel transporting around two hundred people attempting to reach Europe overturned off the coast of Gambia, reports confirm.
The craft flipped on Wednesday midnight in the vicinity of Jinack in the North Bank area and it was later found "grounded on a sandbank", the Gambian military authorities announced officially.
Nearly one hundred people have been saved to date and a rescue operation continues for those still missing who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was en route to the Canary Islands of Spain.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic Ocean has grown into a more frequent path for African asylum seekers trying to reach Europe.
Almost 47,000 individuals arrived at the Canary Islands in the year 2024 and data indicates in excess of nine thousand individuals perished during the journey.
Ongoing Mission
After Wednesday's accident, Gambia's naval forces began a search-and-rescue operation, using multiple navy ships and a fishing boat that offered help, the defence ministry confirmed.
Reports indicate some of the deceased are not from The Gambia and that their details are still being checked.
The remains of the seven individuals who died have been retrieved, and 10 of those rescued are reported to be in grave health and getting immediate medical attention.
A Common Migration Route
Gambia is one of the routes utilized by migrants seeking to get to the EU, typically through dangerous journeys across ocean and terrain.
Recently, the European Union has reached agreements with several North African countries aimed at limiting irregular migration.
