At least seven people have died and many others are lost after a craft transporting approximately 200 people attempting to reach European shores capsized off the coast of Gambia, reports confirm.
The craft flipped in the early hours of Thursday in the vicinity of the village of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was afterwards located "grounded on a sandbank", the nation's defense ministry said in a statement.
Ninety-six people have been saved to date and a search is continuing for the remaining passengers who were on board the capsized craft that was heading towards Spain's Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic Ocean has become an increasingly common route for migrants from Africa attempting to get to Europe.
Almost 47,000 individuals reached the Canary Islands in 2024 and estimates in excess of nine thousand individuals have lost their lives in the attempt.
Search and Rescue Efforts
In the aftermath of the disaster, Gambia's naval forces launched a search-and-rescue operation, involving several naval vessels and a fishing boat that joined the effort, the defence ministry confirmed.
Reports indicate a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The remains of the seven individuals who perished at sea were found, and ten of the survivors are described as being in critical condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
An Established Corridor
This West African nation is one of the routes used by migrants attempting to enter European countries, typically through perilous trips by sea and land.
Recently, the EU has reached agreements with several North African countries designed to limiting irregular migration.
