No fewer than seven souls have perished and many others are missing after a boat carrying approximately two hundred migrants seeking to enter European shores overturned in waters near Gambia, officials state.
The vessel capsized late Wednesday night close to Jinack in the North Bank area and it was afterwards located "grounded on a sandbank", the nation's defense ministry said in a statement.
Ninety-six people have been rescued so far and a hunt is ongoing for other passengers who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was en route to the Canary Islands of Spain.
The dangerous voyage over the the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African migrants attempting to get to Europe.
Close to 47,000 individuals made it to the Canaries in 2024 and figures suggest over 9,000 people perished during the journey.
Rescue Operation
Following the Wednesday incident, Gambia's naval forces began a search operation, deploying several naval vessels and a commercial fishing craft that joined the effort, the defense officials reported.
Authorities say several of the victims are not Gambian nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The remains of the seven people who died have been retrieved, and ten of the survivors are reported to be in serious condition and receiving urgent medical care.
A Common Migration Route
The Gambia is a frequent corridor used by migrants attempting to enter European countries, often on dangerous journeys across ocean and terrain.
In recent years, the European bloc has established pacts with several North African countries with the goal of curtailing illegal migration.
