No fewer than seven people lost their lives and numerous others remain unaccounted for following a craft transporting around 200 people seeking to enter Europe sank in waters near Gambia, reports confirm.
The boat overturned in the early hours of Thursday near Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was afterwards located "beached on a shoal", the nation's defense ministry stated in a release.
Nearly one hundred people have been rescued so far and a search is continuing for other passengers who were aboard the shipwrecked vessel that was en route to Spain's Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African migrants seeking entry into the EU.
Almost 47,000 people arrived at the Canary Islands in 2024 and figures suggest over 9,000 migrants perished during the journey.
Ongoing Mission
In the aftermath of the disaster, Gambia's naval forces launched a search-and-rescue operation, deploying several naval vessels and a commercial fishing craft that joined the effort, the defense officials said.
Authorities say several of the victims are not Gambian nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The remains of the seven individuals who perished at sea have been retrieved, and ten of the survivors are said to be in critical condition and receiving urgent medical care.
A Frequent Pathway
This West African nation is a frequent corridor utilized by migrants attempting to enter European countries, frequently via hazardous voyages by sea and land.
In recent years, the European Union has established pacts with a number of Maghreb states aimed at reducing irregular migration.
