No fewer than seven souls have died and numerous others are missing after a vessel carrying about two hundred migrants seeking to enter European shores capsized in waters near Gambia, authorities say.
The boat overturned late Wednesday night close to the village of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was later found "stranded on a sandbar", the nation's defense ministry stated in a release.
Ninety-six people were pulled to safety and a hunt is ongoing for those still missing who were traveling on the capsized craft that was en route to the Spanish Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African migrants attempting to get to European nations.
Almost forty-seven thousand migrants arrived at the Canary Islands in the year 2024 and estimates more than 9,000 migrants have lost their lives during the journey.
Rescue Operation
In the aftermath of the disaster, the navy initiated a search-and-rescue operation, using a number of military boats and a fishing vessel that came to assist, the military said.
Officials state several of the victims are foreign nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The deceased of the seven people who drowned have been retrieved, and ten of the survivors are described as being in serious condition and getting immediate medical attention.
An Established Corridor
The Gambia is one of the routes used by migrants trying to reach European countries, often on dangerous journeys over water and land.
Over the past few years, the European bloc has established pacts with a number of North African countries designed to curtailing undocumented migration.
