At least seven souls have perished and a significant number remain unaccounted for in the wake of a boat transporting around 200 people attempting to reach Europe capsized off the coast of The Gambia, authorities say.
The craft flipped in the early hours of Thursday in the vicinity of Jinack village in the North Bank Region and it was later found "grounded on a sandbank", the country's defence ministry said in a statement.
Ninety-six people have been saved to date and a hunt is ongoing for the remaining passengers who were aboard the capsized craft that was heading towards Spain's Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African migrants seeking entry into European nations.
Nearly forty-seven thousand migrants reached the Spanish archipelago in 2024 and figures suggest more than nine thousand individuals have died trying.
Ongoing Mission
After Wednesday's accident, Gambia's naval forces initiated a rescue mission, involving several naval vessels and a fishing boat that came to assist, the defence ministry said.
Reports indicate a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The bodies of the seven people who drowned have been retrieved, and ten of the survivors are said to be in critical condition and receiving urgent medical care.
A Common Migration Route
The Gambia is a frequent corridor utilized by asylum seekers trying to reach the EU, frequently via perilous trips across ocean and terrain.
Recently, the EU has reached agreements with several North African countries aimed at reducing irregular migration.
