At least seven souls lost their lives and numerous others remain unaccounted for after a craft ferrying around two hundred migrants seeking to enter the European continent sank in waters near the Gambian coast, officials state.
The vessel capsized late Wednesday night near the village of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was later found "grounded on a sandbank", the country's defence ministry stated in a release.
Ninety-six people have been saved to date and a rescue operation continues for those still missing who were traveling on the sunken boat that was heading towards Spain's Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for migrants from Africa seeking entry into European nations.
Nearly forty-seven thousand migrants reached the Spanish archipelago in the year 2024 and figures suggest in excess of 9,000 people have lost their lives in the attempt.
Ongoing Mission
In the aftermath of the disaster, Gambia's naval forces began a search operation, using a number of military boats and a commercial fishing craft that joined the effort, the military reported.
Officials state some of the deceased are not from The Gambia and that their details are still being checked.
The remains of the seven victims who drowned were found, and ten of the survivors are said to be in grave health and receiving urgent medical care.
A Common Migration Route
This West African nation is one of the routes used by migrants attempting to enter Europe, frequently via dangerous journeys by sea and land.
Over the past few years, the European Union has established pacts with several North African countries designed to reducing irregular migration.
