No fewer than seven souls have perished and many others are missing following a vessel transporting around 200 migrants seeking to enter European shores capsized off the coast of The Gambia, authorities say.
The craft flipped late Wednesday night in the vicinity of Jinack village in the northern bank region and it was afterwards located "grounded on a sandbank", the country's defence ministry announced officially.
Nearly one hundred people have been rescued so far and a hunt is ongoing for those still missing who were on board the sunken boat that was heading towards the Canary Islands of Spain.
The perilous journey over the the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African asylum seekers attempting to get to European nations.
Almost forty-seven thousand migrants arrived at the Canaries in the year 2024 and figures suggest over 9,000 migrants perished during the journey.
Rescue Operation
After Wednesday's accident, the navy began a search operation, deploying several naval vessels and a fishing vessel that came to assist, the military said.
Officials state some of the deceased are foreign nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The bodies of the seven people who perished at sea have been retrieved, and ten of the survivors are described as being in critical condition and receiving urgent medical care.
A Frequent Pathway
Gambia is a common pathway utilized by migrants seeking to get to the EU, typically through hazardous voyages over water and land.
Over the past few years, the European bloc has forged deals with a number of Maghreb states designed to limiting undocumented migration.
