No fewer than seven souls lost their lives and numerous others remain unaccounted for in the wake of a boat ferrying about two hundred migrants seeking to enter the European continent capsized in waters near The Gambia, officials state.
The boat overturned on Wednesday midnight near Jinack village in the northern bank region and it was subsequently discovered "beached on a shoal", the country's defence ministry announced officially.
96 individuals have been saved to date and a hunt is ongoing for other passengers who were aboard the capsized craft that was en route to Spain's Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic Ocean has emerged as a rising pathway for African migrants trying to reach European nations.
Close to 47,000 people arrived at the Canaries in 2024 and estimates more than nine thousand individuals have died trying.
Ongoing Mission
In the aftermath of the disaster, Gambia's naval forces began a rescue mission, using a number of military boats and a fishing boat that joined the effort, the military said.
Authorities say several of the victims are not Gambian nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The bodies of the seven victims who drowned were found, and a dozen of the saved are reported to be in critical condition and receiving urgent medical care.
A Frequent Pathway
Gambia is one of the routes utilized by migrants seeking to get to the EU, frequently via hazardous voyages by sea and land.
Recently, the EU has established pacts with several Maghreb states with the goal of limiting irregular migration.
