A minimum of seven people have perished and many others are missing after a craft carrying about 200 migrants seeking to enter European shores capsized off the coast of Gambia, officials state.
The vessel capsized in the early hours of Thursday in the vicinity of the village of Jinack in the North Bank area and it was subsequently discovered "stranded on a sandbar", the Gambian military authorities said in a statement.
Nearly one hundred people were pulled to safety and a hunt is ongoing for those still missing who were traveling on the capsized craft that was en route to the Spanish Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic Ocean has grown into a more frequent path for African asylum seekers attempting to get to European nations.
Close to forty-seven thousand migrants arrived at the Canary Islands in the year 2024 and estimates in excess of 9,000 people have lost their lives trying.
Rescue Operation
Following the Wednesday incident, the navy initiated a rescue mission, deploying a number of military boats and a commercial fishing craft that offered help, the military said.
Authorities say some of the deceased are not from The Gambia and that their identities are still being verified.
The bodies of the seven victims who died have been recovered, and 10 of those rescued are described as being in critical condition and getting immediate medical attention.
An Established Corridor
Gambia is one of the routes taken by migrants trying to reach Europe, typically through dangerous journeys across ocean and terrain.
In recent years, the European bloc has established pacts with a number of North African nations with the goal of limiting illegal migration.
