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A minimum of seven people lost their lives and numerous others remain unaccounted for in the wake of a craft ferrying approximately two hundred people seeking to enter European shores overturned off the coast of The Gambia, authorities say.

The vessel capsized in the early hours of Thursday near the village of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was afterwards located "stranded on a sandbar", the nation's defense ministry said in a statement.

Nearly one hundred people have been saved to date and a search is continuing for those still missing who were traveling on the capsized craft that was bound for the Canary Islands of Spain.

The perilous journey over the Atlantic Ocean has become an increasingly common route for African migrants trying to reach European nations.

Almost 47,000 people made it to the Spanish archipelago in 2024 and estimates in excess of 9,000 migrants perished trying.

Ongoing Mission

After Wednesday's accident, the navy launched a rescue mission, using multiple navy ships and a fishing boat that joined the effort, the defense officials said.

Authorities say some of the deceased are not Gambian nationals 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 serious condition and undergoing emergency treatment.

An Established Corridor

The Gambia is a common pathway used by migrants attempting to enter Europe, often on perilous trips over water and land.

Over the past few years, the European Union has reached agreements with several North African nations with the goal of limiting undocumented migration.