No fewer than seven souls have perished and numerous others remain unaccounted for after a vessel carrying approximately two hundred people attempting to reach Europe capsized in waters near the Gambian coast, officials state.
The vessel capsized on Wednesday midnight close to Jinack village in the North Bank Region and it was later found "stranded on a sandbar", the nation's defense ministry said in a statement.
96 individuals have been saved to date and a search is continuing for the remaining passengers who were aboard the sunken boat that was bound for the Canary Islands of Spain.
The dangerous voyage over the the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for migrants from Africa attempting to get to Europe.
Close to forty-seven thousand migrants reached the Canaries in 2024 and estimates over 9,000 migrants have died trying.
Search and Rescue Efforts
Following the Wednesday incident, the navy initiated a search-and-rescue operation, deploying several naval vessels and a fishing boat that joined the effort, the defence ministry said.
Authorities say a number of those who died are not from The Gambia and that their details are still being checked.
The deceased of the seven people who drowned have been recovered, and 10 of those rescued are reported to be in serious condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Common Migration Route
This West African nation is a frequent corridor used by migrants attempting to enter the EU, often on hazardous voyages over water and land.
Recently, the EU has reached agreements with several Maghreb states designed to reducing irregular migration.
