No fewer than seven people have perished and numerous others are lost in the wake of a vessel carrying approximately two hundred migrants seeking to enter European shores sank off the coast of The Gambia, reports confirm.
The vessel capsized in the early hours of Thursday near the village of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was afterwards located "beached on a shoal", the nation's defense ministry stated in a release.
96 individuals were pulled to safety and a hunt is ongoing for other passengers who were on board the shipwrecked vessel that was heading towards the Spanish Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African asylum seekers seeking entry into Europe.
Close to 47,000 people made it to the Canaries in 2024 and estimates more than nine thousand individuals perished trying.
Search and Rescue Efforts
Following the Wednesday incident, the navy launched a search operation, using a number of military boats and a commercial fishing craft that came to assist, the defense officials confirmed.
Authorities say a number of those who died are not from The Gambia and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The deceased of the seven individuals who drowned have been retrieved, and a dozen of the saved are said to be in critical condition and receiving urgent medical care.
A Frequent Pathway
This West African nation is a common pathway utilized by asylum seekers trying to reach the EU, often on dangerous journeys by sea and land.
Recently, the European Union has forged deals with a number of North African countries with the goal of limiting illegal migration.
