At least seven souls have perished and a significant number remain unaccounted for after a boat carrying around two hundred people trying to get to European shores sank in waters near Gambia, authorities say.
The vessel capsized late Wednesday night in the vicinity of the village of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was afterwards located "stranded on a sandbar", the nation's defense ministry announced officially.
Ninety-six people have been saved to date and a rescue operation continues for those still missing who were aboard the sunken boat that was en route to the Spanish Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African migrants trying to reach European nations.
Nearly 47,000 people made it to the Spanish archipelago in 2024 and data indicates in excess of 9,000 migrants have died in the attempt.
Ongoing Mission
After Wednesday's accident, Gambia's naval forces began a search-and-rescue operation, using several naval vessels and a commercial fishing craft that came to assist, the military said.
Officials state a number of those who died are foreign nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The remains of the seven victims who drowned have been retrieved, and ten of the survivors are described as being in critical condition and receiving urgent medical care.
An Established Corridor
The Gambia is one of the routes taken by migrants seeking to get to European countries, often on perilous trips over water and land.
Recently, the EU has established pacts with several Maghreb states designed to limiting undocumented migration.
