No fewer than seven souls have died and a significant number are missing in the wake of a craft ferrying around two hundred migrants attempting to reach the European continent overturned in waters near Gambia, officials state.
The vessel capsized in the early hours of Thursday in the vicinity of Jinack village in the North Bank area and it was later found "beached on a shoal", the country's defence ministry announced officially.
96 individuals have been saved to date and a search is continuing for other passengers who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was heading towards the Spanish Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic Ocean has grown into a more frequent path for African asylum seekers seeking entry into the EU.
Nearly 47,000 people reached the Canaries in the year 2024 and estimates over nine thousand individuals have lost their lives trying.
Rescue Operation
After Wednesday's accident, the navy began a search operation, involving several naval vessels and a fishing boat 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 deceased of the seven victims who drowned have been recovered, and ten of the survivors are reported to be in critical condition and getting immediate medical attention.
A Frequent Pathway
The Gambia is a common pathway taken by migrants trying to reach Europe, often on dangerous journeys over water and land.
In recent years, the EU has reached agreements with multiple Maghreb states with the goal of limiting illegal migration.
