A minimum of seven souls have perished and many others are lost in the wake of a vessel carrying around 200 migrants trying to get to the European continent capsized in waters near Gambia, officials state.
The vessel capsized in the early hours of Thursday close to the village of Jinack in the North Bank area and it was later found "grounded on a sandbank", the Gambian military authorities announced officially.
Nearly one hundred people have been saved to date and a rescue operation continues for the remaining passengers who were aboard the sunken boat that was bound for Spain's Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic Ocean has become an increasingly common route for migrants from Africa seeking entry into Europe.
Close to 47,000 individuals reached the Spanish archipelago in 2024 and estimates in excess of 9,000 people perished in the attempt.
Search and Rescue Efforts
After Wednesday's accident, Gambia's naval forces began a search operation, using multiple navy ships and a fishing boat that came to assist, the defense officials said.
Authorities say several of the victims are not Gambian nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The deceased of the seven victims who perished at sea were found, and 10 of those rescued are described as being in critical condition and receiving urgent medical care.
A Frequent Pathway
Gambia is a common pathway used by migrants seeking to get to Europe, often on dangerous journeys by sea and land.
Over the past few years, the EU has reached agreements with a number of North African countries designed to curtailing illegal migration.
