At least seven individuals lost their lives and a significant number remain unaccounted for following a vessel carrying approximately 200 migrants attempting to reach Europe sank near the shoreline of The Gambia, officials state.
The vessel capsized on Wednesday midnight near the village of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was later found "stranded on a sandbar", the country's defence ministry said in a statement.
Ninety-six people have been saved to date and a hunt is ongoing for other passengers who were on board the shipwrecked vessel that was heading towards the Spanish Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic Ocean has become an increasingly common route for migrants from Africa attempting to get to the EU.
Nearly forty-seven thousand migrants reached the Canaries in the year 2024 and figures suggest in excess of nine thousand individuals perished trying.
Ongoing Mission
Following the Wednesday incident, the navy initiated a search-and-rescue operation, using several naval vessels and a commercial fishing craft that joined the effort, the defense officials said.
Reports indicate some of the deceased are not from The Gambia and that their details are still being checked.
The deceased of the seven people who drowned have been recovered, and 10 of those rescued are described as being in critical condition and getting immediate medical attention.
An Established Corridor
This West African nation is one of the routes utilized by migrants attempting to enter Europe, frequently via dangerous journeys over water and land.
Recently, the EU has established pacts with several North African nations designed to limiting irregular migration.
