A minimum of seven individuals have died and numerous others are missing after a craft transporting approximately two hundred migrants attempting to reach Europe overturned near the shoreline of the Gambian coast, reports confirm.
The craft flipped in the early hours of Thursday close to Jinack village in the northern bank region and it was later found "beached on a shoal", the Gambian military authorities announced officially.
Nearly one hundred people have been rescued so far and a rescue operation continues for other passengers who were aboard the capsized craft that was heading towards Spain's Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African migrants trying to reach European nations.
Nearly forty-seven thousand migrants arrived at the Canary Islands in the year 2024 and estimates in excess of 9,000 migrants have died in the attempt.
Search and Rescue Efforts
In the aftermath of the disaster, The Gambian Navy launched a search-and-rescue operation, deploying multiple navy ships and a fishing vessel that offered help, the defence ministry reported.
Authorities say some of the deceased are foreign nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The deceased of the seven victims who died have been recovered, and ten of the survivors are reported to be in grave health and getting immediate medical attention.
A Common Migration Route
This West African nation is one of the routes utilized by migrants attempting to enter Europe, frequently via hazardous voyages by sea and land.
Recently, the European bloc has established pacts with a number of North African nations aimed at limiting irregular migration.
