At least seven people lost their lives and a significant number are missing following a craft ferrying approximately two hundred migrants trying to get to European shores sank near the shoreline of Gambia, officials state.
The craft flipped late Wednesday night in the vicinity of Jinack village in the North Bank Region and it was afterwards located "grounded on a sandbank", the country's defence ministry announced officially.
96 individuals have been saved to date and a hunt is ongoing for other passengers who were traveling on the capsized craft that was heading towards Spain's Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for migrants from Africa trying to reach Europe.
Nearly 47,000 individuals arrived at the Canaries in 2024 and figures suggest in excess of nine thousand individuals perished in the attempt.
Rescue Operation
After Wednesday's accident, The Gambian Navy launched a search operation, deploying a number of military boats and a fishing boat that offered help, the defense officials said.
Reports indicate several of the victims are not Gambian nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The remains of the seven individuals who perished at sea have been recovered, and ten of the survivors are said to be in serious condition and getting immediate medical attention.
A Frequent Pathway
This West African nation is a common pathway used by asylum seekers seeking to get to the EU, frequently via hazardous voyages across ocean and terrain.
In recent years, the EU has established pacts with multiple North African countries designed to reducing irregular migration.
