A minimum of seven souls have perished and many others are lost following a vessel transporting about two hundred people seeking to enter Europe overturned in waters near Gambia, authorities say.
The vessel capsized late Wednesday night close to the village of Jinack in the North Bank area and it was later found "grounded on a sandbank", the Gambian military authorities said in a statement.
Nearly one hundred people have been rescued so far and a hunt is ongoing for the remaining passengers who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was heading towards the Canary Islands of Spain.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic Ocean has grown into a more frequent path for African asylum seekers attempting to get to the EU.
Close to forty-seven thousand migrants arrived at the Spanish archipelago in the year 2024 and data indicates in excess of nine thousand individuals have lost their lives in the attempt.
Rescue Operation
After Wednesday's accident, the navy initiated a rescue mission, deploying a number of military boats and a commercial fishing craft that came to assist, the defense officials reported.
Reports indicate some of the deceased are not Gambian nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The deceased of the seven victims who drowned have been recovered, and 10 of those rescued are described as being in critical condition and getting immediate medical attention.
An Established Corridor
The Gambia is one of the routes utilized by asylum seekers trying to reach European countries, typically through perilous trips over water and land.
In recent years, the EU has established pacts with a number of Maghreb states designed to limiting illegal migration.
