No fewer than seven people have died and a significant number are lost in the wake of a boat carrying approximately two hundred migrants seeking to enter the European continent capsized off the coast of Gambia, reports confirm.
The craft flipped on Wednesday midnight close to Jinack village in the northern bank region and it was afterwards located "stranded on a sandbar", the country's defence ministry announced officially.
96 individuals were pulled to safety and a search is continuing for other passengers who were on board the shipwrecked vessel that was en route to the Spanish Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic Ocean has become an increasingly common route for African migrants trying to reach European nations.
Nearly forty-seven thousand migrants arrived at the Canaries in the year 2024 and estimates more than 9,000 migrants perished in the attempt.
Rescue Operation
Following the Wednesday incident, the navy initiated a search operation, involving a number of military boats and a commercial fishing craft that offered help, the defense officials reported.
Authorities say some of the deceased are not from The Gambia and that their identities are still being verified.
The remains of the seven people who died were found, and a dozen of the saved are reported to be in grave health and getting immediate medical attention.
A Common Migration Route
Gambia is one of the routes utilized by migrants attempting to enter the EU, typically through perilous trips by sea and land.
In recent years, the European bloc has reached agreements with several Maghreb states aimed at limiting irregular migration.
