At least seven people have died and numerous others remain unaccounted for after a craft ferrying about two hundred migrants seeking to enter the European continent overturned in waters near The Gambia, officials state.
The vessel capsized on Wednesday midnight close to Jinack village in the North Bank Region and it was afterwards located "beached on a shoal", the country's defence ministry said in a statement.
Ninety-six people were pulled to safety and a search is continuing for other passengers who were on board the sunken boat that was heading towards the Canary Islands of Spain.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic Ocean has grown into a more frequent path for migrants from Africa attempting to get to European nations.
Nearly forty-seven thousand migrants reached the Canary Islands in 2024 and estimates more than nine thousand individuals have died in the attempt.
Search and Rescue Efforts
After Wednesday's accident, Gambia's naval forces launched a rescue mission, involving multiple navy ships and a fishing boat that offered help, the military said.
Reports indicate a number of those who died are foreign nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The bodies of the seven victims who drowned were found, and a dozen of the saved are said to be in grave health and receiving urgent medical care.
A Frequent Pathway
Gambia is one of the routes taken by migrants seeking to get to Europe, frequently via hazardous voyages by sea and land.
In recent years, the European bloc has established pacts with several North African nations designed to reducing irregular migration.
