A minimum of seven souls have perished and a significant number are lost after a boat ferrying about 200 migrants trying to get to the European continent overturned off the coast of Gambia, authorities say.
The vessel capsized on Wednesday midnight near Jinack village in the northern bank region and it was subsequently discovered "stranded on a sandbar", the country's defence ministry said in a statement.
Nearly one hundred people have been saved to date and a rescue operation continues for those still missing who were on board the shipwrecked vessel that was heading towards the Canary Islands of Spain.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African migrants trying to reach Europe.
Almost 47,000 people reached the Spanish archipelago in 2024 and figures suggest over nine thousand individuals have died in the attempt.
Ongoing Mission
After Wednesday's accident, the navy initiated a search-and-rescue operation, deploying several naval vessels and a commercial fishing craft that joined the effort, the military said.
Officials state a number of those who died are not from The Gambia and that their identities are still being verified.
The deceased of the seven individuals who drowned have been retrieved, and ten of the survivors are reported to be in grave health and getting immediate medical attention.
A Common Migration Route
Gambia is one of the routes used by asylum seekers attempting to enter the EU, typically through hazardous voyages across ocean and terrain.
In recent years, the European Union has established pacts with several Maghreb states aimed at reducing undocumented migration.
