No fewer than seven individuals have perished and many others are lost in the wake of a vessel transporting approximately two hundred people trying to get to European shores sank in waters near Gambia, authorities say.
The craft flipped on Wednesday midnight near Jinack in the North Bank area and it was subsequently discovered "grounded on a sandbank", the country's defence ministry said in a statement.
Ninety-six people have been saved to date and a search is continuing for other passengers who were on board the shipwrecked vessel that was bound for the Spanish Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African migrants seeking entry into European nations.
Nearly forty-seven thousand migrants arrived at the Canary Islands in 2024 and data indicates in excess of 9,000 migrants have died trying.
Rescue Operation
After Wednesday's accident, The Gambian Navy launched a search-and-rescue operation, involving several naval vessels and a fishing boat that joined the effort, the military reported.
Authorities say some of the deceased are foreign nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The deceased of the seven individuals who perished at sea have been retrieved, and a dozen of the saved are described as being in grave health and receiving urgent medical care.
An Established Corridor
This West African nation is one of the routes utilized by migrants trying to reach European countries, typically through dangerous journeys across ocean and terrain.
Recently, the European bloc has forged deals with several North African countries aimed at reducing undocumented migration.
