No fewer than seven individuals have died and a significant number are missing in the wake of a craft transporting about 200 people attempting to reach the European continent capsized in waters near Gambia, authorities say.
The boat overturned on Wednesday midnight close to the village of Jinack in the North Bank area and it was afterwards located "grounded on a sandbank", the nation's defense ministry stated in a release.
Ninety-six people have been saved to date and a hunt is ongoing for the remaining passengers who were aboard the shipwrecked vessel that was en route to the Spanish Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic Ocean has grown into a more frequent path for migrants from Africa attempting to get to Europe.
Close to 47,000 individuals arrived at the Canaries in 2024 and estimates in excess of 9,000 migrants have lost their lives trying.
Ongoing Mission
In the aftermath of the disaster, Gambia's naval forces began a search operation, deploying multiple navy ships and a commercial fishing craft that came to assist, the military said.
Authorities say a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The remains of the seven victims who drowned have been retrieved, and a dozen of the saved are said to be in critical condition and receiving urgent medical care.
An Established Corridor
Gambia is a common pathway used by migrants trying to reach the EU, frequently via hazardous voyages across ocean and terrain.
Recently, the EU has established pacts with a number of North African nations aimed at limiting undocumented migration.
