No fewer than seven souls lost their lives and a significant number are lost in the wake of a craft ferrying approximately 200 people attempting to reach the European continent capsized off the coast of Gambia, reports confirm.
The vessel capsized in the early hours of Thursday in the vicinity of Jinack village in the North Bank area and it was subsequently discovered "beached on a shoal", the country's defence ministry stated in a release.
Nearly one hundred people were pulled to safety and a search is continuing for the remaining passengers who were on board the shipwrecked vessel that was en route to the Canary Islands of Spain.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic Ocean has emerged as a rising pathway for African migrants attempting to get to the EU.
Almost forty-seven thousand migrants arrived at the Canaries in 2024 and figures suggest more than nine thousand individuals have lost their lives trying.
Ongoing Mission
Following the Wednesday incident, Gambia's naval forces began a search-and-rescue operation, deploying several naval vessels and a commercial fishing craft that came to assist, the military said.
Officials state several of the victims are foreign nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The bodies of the seven people who perished at sea have been retrieved, and 10 of those rescued are reported to be in critical condition and receiving urgent medical care.
An Established Corridor
This West African nation is a common pathway utilized by migrants trying to reach the EU, frequently via hazardous voyages by sea and land.
In recent years, the EU has forged deals with several North African nations designed to curtailing undocumented migration.
