At least seven souls have perished and many others are lost after a boat carrying about 200 migrants seeking to enter Europe overturned near the shoreline of the Gambian coast, authorities say.
The vessel capsized on Wednesday midnight close to Jinack village in the northern bank region and it was later found "stranded on a sandbar", the Gambian military authorities stated in a release.
Nearly one hundred people have been rescued so far and a search is continuing for other passengers who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was en route to the Canary Islands of Spain.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic Ocean has grown into a more frequent path for African migrants seeking entry into Europe.
Almost 47,000 people reached the Canaries in the year 2024 and data indicates over 9,000 migrants perished in the attempt.
Rescue Operation
After Wednesday's accident, Gambia's naval forces initiated a search operation, deploying several naval vessels and a fishing vessel that came to assist, the defence ministry confirmed.
Officials state several of the victims are not from The Gambia and that their details are still being checked.
The remains of the seven individuals who died were found, and ten of the survivors are said to be in critical condition and getting immediate medical attention.
A Frequent Pathway
This West African nation is a common pathway used by migrants trying to reach the EU, frequently via perilous trips over water and land.
In recent years, the European bloc has reached agreements with multiple Maghreb states with the goal of curtailing illegal migration.
