A minimum of seven souls lost their lives and many others are missing following a craft carrying approximately 200 migrants seeking to enter European shores overturned in waters near The Gambia, reports confirm.
The vessel capsized on Wednesday midnight near Jinack village in the North Bank area and it was afterwards located "grounded on a sandbank", the country's defence ministry announced officially.
Ninety-six people were pulled to safety and a search is continuing for those still missing who were on board the capsized craft that was en route to Spain's Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African migrants trying to reach European nations.
Almost forty-seven thousand migrants made it to the Spanish archipelago in 2024 and estimates over nine thousand individuals have died in the attempt.
Rescue Operation
Following the Wednesday incident, The Gambian Navy began a search-and-rescue operation, involving multiple navy ships and a fishing boat that came to assist, the military confirmed.
Authorities say some of the deceased are foreign nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The bodies of the seven victims who drowned were found, and a dozen of the saved are reported to be in grave health and receiving urgent medical care.
A Common Migration Route
Gambia is a frequent corridor utilized by migrants trying to reach European countries, often on hazardous voyages over water and land.
Over the past few years, the EU has reached agreements with several North African countries with the goal of curtailing undocumented migration.
