No fewer than seven souls have perished and numerous others are lost after a craft transporting about 200 migrants trying to get to European shores sank in waters near Gambia, authorities say.
The boat overturned in the early hours of Thursday in the vicinity of Jinack village in the North Bank Region and it was subsequently discovered "stranded on a sandbar", the Gambian military authorities said in a statement.
Ninety-six people were pulled to safety and a search is continuing for those still missing who were on board the shipwrecked vessel that was heading towards Spain's Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic Ocean has grown into a more frequent path for migrants from Africa trying to reach the EU.
Nearly forty-seven thousand migrants reached the Spanish archipelago in the year 2024 and estimates over 9,000 migrants have lost their lives in the attempt.
Rescue Operation
After Wednesday's accident, Gambia's naval forces launched a search operation, involving multiple navy ships and a fishing vessel that offered help, the defence ministry reported.
Officials state several of the victims are foreign nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The remains of the seven victims who drowned were found, and a dozen of the saved are said to be in critical condition and receiving urgent medical care.
A Frequent Pathway
Gambia is one of the routes utilized by asylum seekers seeking to get to Europe, frequently via dangerous journeys over water and land.
Over the past few years, the European Union has forged deals with multiple Maghreb states designed to reducing illegal migration.
