At least seven people lost their lives and a significant number are missing following a boat ferrying around two hundred migrants trying to get to European shores sank near the shoreline of Gambia, officials state.
The vessel capsized in the early hours of Thursday close to Jinack in the northern bank region and it was afterwards located "beached on a shoal", the nation's defense ministry announced officially.
Ninety-six people have been rescued so far and a search is continuing for the remaining passengers who were on board the capsized craft that was heading towards Spain's Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for migrants from Africa attempting to get to European nations.
Almost forty-seven thousand migrants made it to the Canary Islands in the year 2024 and figures suggest more than 9,000 migrants have died during the journey.
Search and Rescue Efforts
In the aftermath of the disaster, Gambia's naval forces began a rescue mission, involving several naval vessels and a fishing vessel that joined the effort, the military reported.
Reports indicate a number of those who died are not from The Gambia and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The bodies of the seven individuals who died were found, and ten of the survivors are said to be in grave health and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Common Migration Route
Gambia is a frequent corridor taken by asylum seekers trying to reach Europe, frequently via hazardous voyages by sea and land.
In recent years, the European bloc has reached agreements with a number of North African nations with the goal of reducing irregular migration.
