At least seven people have died and a significant number are missing following a vessel carrying around 200 migrants seeking to enter Europe sank in waters near the Gambian coast, officials state.
The vessel capsized late Wednesday night close to Jinack in the North Bank area and it was subsequently discovered "stranded on a sandbar", the country's defence ministry stated in a release.
Nearly one hundred people were pulled to safety and a hunt is ongoing for those still missing who were on board the shipwrecked vessel that was bound for the Spanish Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for migrants from Africa trying to reach the EU.
Almost 47,000 individuals reached the Canary Islands in 2024 and figures suggest in excess of 9,000 migrants have died in the attempt.
Search and Rescue Efforts
In the aftermath of the disaster, The Gambian Navy began a rescue mission, using several naval vessels and a commercial fishing craft that joined the effort, the defence ministry confirmed.
Authorities say several of the victims are foreign nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The deceased of the seven victims who perished at sea were found, and ten of the survivors are said to be in serious condition and receiving urgent medical care.
A Frequent Pathway
The Gambia is a frequent corridor utilized by asylum seekers trying to reach the EU, often on hazardous voyages over water and land.
Over the past few years, the EU has established pacts with a number of North African countries designed to curtailing irregular migration.
