At least seven souls have died and numerous others are missing in the wake of a vessel carrying around two hundred people attempting to reach Europe overturned in waters near The Gambia, officials state.
The boat overturned in the early hours of Thursday near Jinack village in the North Bank area and it was later found "stranded on a sandbar", the nation's defense ministry said in a statement.
96 individuals were pulled to safety and a rescue operation continues for the remaining passengers who were traveling on the capsized craft that was bound for the Spanish Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic Ocean has become an increasingly common route for African migrants seeking entry into the EU.
Close to 47,000 people reached the Canary Islands in the year 2024 and figures suggest in excess of nine thousand individuals perished in the attempt.
Ongoing Mission
After Wednesday's accident, Gambia's naval forces launched a search-and-rescue operation, deploying several naval vessels and a fishing boat that joined the effort, the defence ministry confirmed.
Authorities say several of the victims are not Gambian nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The bodies of the seven victims who died have been retrieved, and ten of the survivors are said to be in critical condition and getting immediate medical attention.
An Established Corridor
This West African nation is a frequent corridor taken by migrants seeking to get to European countries, typically through perilous trips over water and land.
In recent years, the European Union has established pacts with multiple North African countries designed to curtailing undocumented migration.
