At least seven souls have died and numerous others are lost following a craft transporting approximately two hundred people seeking to enter European shores capsized near the shoreline of The Gambia, officials state.
The boat overturned in the early hours of Thursday close to Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was subsequently discovered "grounded on a sandbank", the nation's defense ministry stated in a release.
Nearly one hundred people have been saved to date and a hunt is ongoing for other passengers who were traveling on the capsized craft that was en route to the Canary Islands of Spain.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African migrants seeking entry into the EU.
Close to 47,000 people arrived at the Spanish archipelago in 2024 and figures suggest more than nine thousand individuals perished in the attempt.
Ongoing Mission
After Wednesday's accident, the navy initiated a search-and-rescue operation, deploying a number of military boats and a fishing vessel that joined the effort, the military confirmed.
Officials state a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The remains of the seven people who died were found, and a dozen of the saved are reported to be in grave health and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Frequent Pathway
The Gambia is a common pathway utilized by migrants trying to reach the EU, often on perilous trips across ocean and terrain.
Over the past few years, the EU has established pacts with a number of Maghreb states designed to limiting irregular migration.
