No fewer than seven souls have perished and a significant number are lost after a boat ferrying around 200 migrants seeking to enter the European continent capsized in waters near the Gambian coast, authorities say.
The vessel capsized on Wednesday midnight near Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was subsequently discovered "grounded on a sandbank", the nation's defense ministry announced officially.
96 individuals have been rescued so far and a hunt is ongoing for other passengers who were aboard the capsized craft that was en route to Spain's Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African asylum seekers trying to reach European nations.
Nearly forty-seven thousand migrants reached the Canaries in the year 2024 and figures suggest more than 9,000 people perished during the journey.
Rescue Operation
After Wednesday's accident, Gambia's naval forces began a rescue mission, deploying a number of military boats and a fishing boat that came to assist, the military confirmed.
Authorities say a number of those who died are not from The Gambia and that their identities are still being verified.
The bodies of the seven people who drowned have been recovered, and a dozen of the saved are described as being in critical condition and receiving urgent medical care.
A Common Migration Route
The Gambia is a common pathway taken by asylum seekers attempting to enter European countries, frequently via hazardous voyages over water and land.
In recent years, the EU has established pacts with multiple Maghreb states designed to curtailing undocumented migration.
