No fewer than seven individuals have perished and many others remain unaccounted for following a vessel ferrying approximately two hundred migrants attempting to reach European shores sank in waters near the Gambian coast, reports confirm.
The craft flipped in the early hours of Thursday near Jinack in the North Bank area and it was later found "grounded on a sandbank", the country's defence ministry said in a statement.
96 individuals have been rescued so far and a search is continuing for those still missing who were on board the sunken boat that was heading towards Spain's Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African migrants seeking entry into the EU.
Almost forty-seven thousand migrants made it to the Spanish archipelago in the year 2024 and data indicates in excess of 9,000 people have died trying.
Search and Rescue Efforts
Following the Wednesday incident, the navy began a search operation, deploying a number of military boats and a fishing vessel that offered help, the defense officials said.
Reports indicate some of the deceased are not from The Gambia and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The deceased of the seven individuals who drowned have been recovered, and a dozen of the saved are said to be in critical condition and getting immediate medical attention.
An Established Corridor
The Gambia is one of the routes utilized by migrants trying to reach the EU, often on perilous trips across ocean and terrain.
Over the past few years, the European bloc has reached agreements with a number of North African countries designed to curtailing irregular migration.
