A minimum of seven people lost their lives and numerous others are lost in the wake of a craft carrying around two hundred people seeking to enter European shores overturned near the shoreline of The Gambia, authorities say.
The vessel capsized in the early hours of Thursday in the vicinity of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was afterwards located "beached on a shoal", the Gambian military authorities said in a statement.
96 individuals have been rescued so far and a search is continuing for those still missing who were traveling on the capsized craft that was bound for Spain's Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African asylum seekers attempting to get to European nations.
Close to 47,000 people made it to the Spanish archipelago in 2024 and data indicates over 9,000 migrants have lost their lives during the journey.
Search and Rescue Efforts
In the aftermath of the disaster, the navy began a search-and-rescue operation, involving a number of military boats and a fishing boat that came to assist, the military confirmed.
Officials state a number of those who died are foreign nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The remains of the seven people who drowned have been retrieved, and a dozen of the saved are described as being in critical condition and receiving urgent medical care.
A Frequent Pathway
Gambia is a common pathway utilized by asylum seekers seeking to get to European countries, frequently via perilous trips over water and land.
In recent years, the EU has established pacts with a number of North African countries designed to limiting illegal migration.
