At least seven souls have died and a significant number are lost following a vessel transporting about 200 migrants trying to get to European shores capsized in waters near Gambia, officials state.
The craft flipped in the early hours of Thursday in the vicinity of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was later found "stranded on a sandbar", the nation's defense ministry said in a statement.
Ninety-six people have been saved to date and a search is continuing for those still missing who were aboard the sunken boat that was heading towards the Spanish Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic Ocean has grown into a more frequent path for migrants from Africa trying to reach European nations.
Almost 47,000 people reached the Canary Islands in 2024 and figures suggest in excess of nine thousand individuals perished in the attempt.
Rescue Operation
In the aftermath of the disaster, the navy initiated a rescue mission, using several naval vessels and a commercial fishing craft that came to assist, the defense officials reported.
Reports indicate some of the deceased are foreign nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The deceased of the seven people who drowned were found, and 10 of those rescued are said to be in grave health and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Common Migration Route
Gambia is a common pathway utilized by migrants seeking to get to Europe, frequently via perilous trips by sea and land.
Recently, the EU has established pacts with a number of Maghreb states designed to curtailing illegal migration.
