A minimum of seven souls have perished and numerous others are lost in the wake of a vessel carrying approximately 200 migrants seeking to enter Europe overturned near the shoreline of the Gambian coast, officials state.
The vessel capsized on Wednesday midnight close to Jinack village in the northern bank region and it was afterwards located "beached on a shoal", the country's defence ministry said in a statement.
Nearly one hundred people have been saved to date and a rescue operation continues for the remaining passengers who were on board the shipwrecked vessel that was en route to the Canary Islands of Spain.
The perilous journey over the the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African migrants seeking entry into European nations.
Nearly forty-seven thousand migrants reached the Spanish archipelago in 2024 and data indicates in excess of 9,000 people have lost their lives in the attempt.
Ongoing Mission
In the aftermath of the disaster, Gambia's naval forces launched a search-and-rescue operation, deploying multiple navy ships and a commercial fishing craft that offered help, the defence ministry confirmed.
Reports indicate a number of those who died are not from The Gambia and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The remains of the seven individuals who drowned were found, and a dozen of the saved are said to be in grave health and getting immediate medical attention.
A Frequent Pathway
The Gambia is a frequent corridor used by migrants attempting to enter Europe, frequently via hazardous voyages across ocean and terrain.
Over the past few years, the European bloc has forged deals with a number of North African nations aimed at reducing illegal migration.
