No fewer than seven people lost their lives and a significant number remain unaccounted for after a boat carrying around two hundred people seeking to enter the European continent overturned in waters near The Gambia, officials state.
The craft flipped on Wednesday midnight close to Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was afterwards located "beached on a shoal", the country's defence ministry announced officially.
96 individuals have been rescued so far and a search is continuing for those still missing who were aboard the capsized craft that was bound for the Canary Islands of Spain.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African migrants trying to reach Europe.
Nearly forty-seven thousand migrants reached the Canaries in the year 2024 and data indicates more than nine thousand individuals have died in the attempt.
Search and Rescue Efforts
After Wednesday's accident, The Gambian Navy launched a rescue mission, involving a number of military boats and a fishing boat that offered help, the defence ministry confirmed.
Authorities say a number of those who died are not from The Gambia and that their identities are still being verified.
The deceased of the seven people who drowned have been recovered, and 10 of those rescued are reported to be in serious condition and getting immediate medical attention.
An Established Corridor
The Gambia is a frequent corridor taken by migrants seeking to get to European countries, frequently via hazardous voyages across ocean and terrain.
Recently, the EU has established pacts with multiple North African nations designed to reducing undocumented migration.
