A minimum of seven people lost their lives and numerous others are lost in the wake of a craft ferrying around 200 people trying to get to European shores overturned in waters near Gambia, reports confirm.
The vessel capsized on Wednesday midnight close to the village of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was afterwards located "grounded on a sandbank", the nation's defense ministry announced officially.
Nearly one hundred people were pulled to safety and a search is continuing for those still missing who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was bound for the Spanish Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African migrants trying to reach the EU.
Almost 47,000 people made it to the Spanish archipelago in the year 2024 and figures suggest more than 9,000 people have lost their lives during the journey.
Search and Rescue Efforts
In the aftermath of the disaster, Gambia's naval forces launched a search-and-rescue operation, deploying multiple navy ships and a fishing boat that joined the effort, the defense officials confirmed.
Officials state a number of those who died are foreign nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The bodies of the seven individuals who perished at sea have been recovered, and a dozen of the saved are reported to be in grave health and getting immediate medical attention.
A Frequent Pathway
The Gambia is a frequent corridor utilized by migrants attempting to enter European countries, typically through dangerous journeys across ocean and terrain.
In recent years, the EU has forged deals with multiple Maghreb states with the goal of reducing illegal migration.
