No fewer than seven individuals have died and a significant number remain unaccounted for following a craft carrying approximately 200 migrants seeking to enter Europe overturned near the shoreline of the Gambian coast, reports confirm.
The boat overturned late Wednesday night in the vicinity of Jinack in the North Bank area and it was afterwards located "beached on a shoal", the Gambian military authorities announced officially.
96 individuals have been saved to date and a rescue operation continues for those still missing who were aboard the shipwrecked vessel that was heading towards the Spanish Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African asylum seekers seeking entry into the EU.
Almost 47,000 individuals reached the Canary Islands in 2024 and estimates in excess of 9,000 people have lost their lives in the attempt.
Ongoing Mission
Following the Wednesday incident, The Gambian Navy launched a search operation, involving several naval vessels and a fishing boat that offered help, the military reported.
Reports indicate several of the victims are not Gambian nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The remains of the seven individuals who drowned were found, and ten of the survivors are reported to be in critical condition and receiving urgent medical care.
An Established Corridor
This West African nation is one of the routes utilized by migrants trying to reach European countries, often on hazardous voyages by sea and land.
In recent years, the European bloc has established pacts with several Maghreb states with the goal of reducing illegal migration.
