No fewer than seven souls lost their lives and a significant number remain unaccounted for in the wake of a vessel transporting approximately two hundred migrants attempting to reach the European continent sank in waters near Gambia, officials state.
The boat overturned on Wednesday midnight in the vicinity of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was afterwards located "beached on a shoal", the nation's defense ministry stated in a release.
Nearly one hundred people have been saved to date and a search is continuing for the remaining passengers who were traveling on the capsized craft that was bound for the Spanish Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African migrants seeking entry into European nations.
Almost 47,000 individuals reached the Canary Islands in the year 2024 and estimates more than 9,000 people perished in the attempt.
Ongoing Mission
After Wednesday's accident, the navy initiated a search operation, involving a number of military boats and a commercial fishing craft that joined the effort, the military confirmed.
Authorities say several of the victims are foreign nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The deceased of the seven people who died have been retrieved, and a dozen of the saved are reported to be in serious condition and receiving urgent medical care.
A Common Migration Route
The Gambia is a common pathway used by migrants seeking to get to the EU, frequently via perilous trips by sea and land.
In recent years, the EU has reached agreements with a number of North African nations designed to reducing undocumented migration.
