A minimum of seven individuals have perished and numerous others are missing in the wake of a craft transporting about 200 migrants attempting to reach Europe capsized near the shoreline of Gambia, officials state.
The craft flipped in the early hours of Thursday close to the village of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was afterwards located "beached on a shoal", the country's defence ministry said in a statement.
96 individuals have been rescued so far and a search is continuing for other passengers who were on board 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 migrants from Africa attempting to get to European nations.
Nearly 47,000 people arrived at the Canary Islands in 2024 and figures suggest in excess of nine thousand individuals have lost their lives during the journey.
Rescue Operation
After Wednesday's accident, Gambia's naval forces launched a rescue mission, deploying several naval vessels and a fishing vessel that came to assist, the military said.
Authorities say a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The bodies of the seven individuals who drowned have been retrieved, and 10 of those rescued are reported to be in critical condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
An Established Corridor
The Gambia is one of the routes taken by asylum seekers attempting to enter Europe, often on dangerous journeys across ocean and terrain.
In recent years, the European bloc has forged deals with multiple North African nations with the goal of curtailing undocumented migration.
