A minimum of seven people have perished and a significant number are missing after a craft ferrying approximately 200 migrants seeking to enter Europe overturned off the coast of the Gambian coast, reports confirm.
The craft flipped on Wednesday midnight in the vicinity of the village of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was later found "stranded on a sandbar", the country's defence ministry stated in a release.
Nearly one hundred people were pulled to safety and a hunt is ongoing for other passengers who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was en route to the Spanish Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for migrants from Africa trying to reach the EU.
Nearly 47,000 individuals arrived at the Spanish archipelago in 2024 and data indicates in excess of nine thousand individuals have lost their lives in the attempt.
Rescue Operation
In the aftermath of the disaster, The Gambian Navy launched a rescue mission, using multiple navy ships 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 identities are still being verified.
The remains of the seven victims who perished at sea have been recovered, and a dozen of the saved are said to be in serious condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Frequent Pathway
Gambia is a common pathway utilized by migrants seeking to get to European countries, often on hazardous voyages over water and land.
In recent years, the EU has established pacts with multiple North African countries aimed at limiting irregular migration.
