At least seven souls have died and numerous others are lost following a vessel ferrying approximately two hundred migrants trying to get to the European continent sank off the coast of The Gambia, reports confirm.
The craft flipped in the early hours of Thursday near Jinack village in the northern bank region and it was afterwards located "grounded on a sandbank", the Gambian military authorities announced officially.
96 individuals have been rescued so far and a search is continuing for the remaining passengers who were traveling on the capsized craft that was bound for the Spanish Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African asylum seekers trying to reach the EU.
Almost 47,000 people made it to the Canary Islands in the year 2024 and estimates more than nine thousand individuals have lost their lives during the journey.
Rescue Operation
After Wednesday's accident, Gambia's naval forces began a search operation, involving several naval vessels and a fishing vessel that came to assist, the defense officials reported.
Reports indicate a number of those who died are foreign nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The deceased of the seven individuals who perished at sea have been retrieved, and a dozen of the saved are described as being in grave health and receiving urgent medical care.
A Frequent Pathway
The Gambia is one of the routes used by asylum seekers seeking to get to European countries, frequently via hazardous voyages by sea and land.
Over the past few years, the European bloc has reached agreements with several North African countries aimed at curtailing irregular migration.
