No fewer than seven individuals lost their lives and a significant number are lost following a craft transporting about 200 people trying to get to European shores capsized in waters near the Gambian coast, authorities say.
The vessel capsized in the early hours of Thursday close to Jinack village in the northern bank region and it was afterwards located "beached on a shoal", the nation's defense ministry said in a statement.
Ninety-six people have been rescued so far and a rescue operation continues for other passengers who were traveling on 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 asylum seekers seeking entry into the EU.
Nearly 47,000 people made it to the Canaries in the year 2024 and estimates in excess of 9,000 migrants have died trying.
Rescue Operation
In the aftermath of the disaster, Gambia's naval forces launched a rescue mission, deploying several naval vessels and a fishing vessel that came to assist, the defense officials reported.
Authorities say a number of those who died are foreign nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The bodies of the seven victims who perished at sea have been retrieved, and a dozen of the saved are described as being in serious condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Frequent Pathway
This West African nation is a frequent corridor used by asylum seekers attempting to enter European countries, frequently via dangerous journeys by sea and land.
Over the past few years, the EU has established pacts with a number of Maghreb states designed to limiting undocumented migration.
