A minimum of seven people have died and many others remain unaccounted for following a vessel ferrying around two hundred migrants attempting to reach Europe overturned near the shoreline of Gambia, authorities say.
The craft flipped late Wednesday night close to Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was subsequently discovered "stranded on a sandbar", the Gambian military authorities announced officially.
96 individuals were pulled to safety and a hunt is ongoing for the remaining passengers who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was heading towards the Canary Islands of Spain.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic Ocean has emerged as a rising pathway for African migrants attempting to get to the EU.
Almost 47,000 people made it to the Spanish archipelago in the year 2024 and data indicates in excess of 9,000 migrants have died in the attempt.
Search and Rescue Efforts
In the aftermath of the disaster, The Gambian Navy initiated a search-and-rescue operation, deploying several naval vessels and a fishing vessel that offered help, the defense officials reported.
Officials state several of the victims are not Gambian nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The deceased of the seven people who drowned have been retrieved, and a dozen of the saved are reported to be in serious condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Frequent Pathway
Gambia is one of the routes taken by migrants attempting to enter the EU, often on hazardous voyages by sea and land.
Over the past few years, the European Union has forged deals with several North African nations designed to curtailing irregular migration.
