No fewer than seven souls have perished and numerous others remain unaccounted for following a vessel transporting about 200 migrants attempting to reach the European continent sank near the shoreline of Gambia, officials state.
The vessel capsized in the early hours of Thursday in the vicinity of Jinack village in the northern bank region and it was afterwards located "beached on a shoal", the nation's defense ministry announced officially.
Ninety-six people have been rescued so far and a rescue operation continues for those still missing who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was heading towards the Spanish Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic Ocean has grown into a more frequent path for migrants from Africa attempting to get to European nations.
Almost forty-seven thousand migrants arrived at the Canaries in the year 2024 and estimates over 9,000 people perished trying.
Rescue Operation
Following the Wednesday incident, The Gambian Navy launched a search-and-rescue operation, deploying a number of military boats and a fishing boat that offered help, the defense officials confirmed.
Officials state a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The bodies of the seven people who drowned have been retrieved, and a dozen of the saved are reported to be in serious condition and receiving urgent medical care.
An Established Corridor
This West African nation is a common pathway taken by migrants attempting to enter Europe, frequently via hazardous voyages over water and land.
Recently, the EU has forged deals with multiple Maghreb states designed to limiting undocumented migration.
