At least seven people have perished and a significant number remain unaccounted for following a vessel carrying about two hundred migrants seeking to enter the European continent capsized in waters near the Gambian coast, officials state.
The craft flipped in the early hours of Thursday in the vicinity of the village of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was later found "stranded on a sandbar", the country's defence ministry announced officially.
Ninety-six people have been rescued so far and a search is continuing for the remaining passengers who were aboard the capsized craft that was en route to Spain's Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for migrants from Africa seeking entry into Europe.
Nearly forty-seven thousand migrants made it to the Spanish archipelago in the year 2024 and figures suggest over 9,000 migrants perished trying.
Rescue Operation
In the aftermath of the disaster, Gambia's naval forces initiated a search operation, using several naval vessels and a commercial fishing craft that offered help, the defense officials reported.
Authorities say several of the victims are foreign nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The bodies of the seven individuals who died have been retrieved, and 10 of those rescued are said to be in critical condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Frequent Pathway
The Gambia is one of the routes taken by migrants trying to reach European countries, typically through perilous trips across ocean and terrain.
Over the past few years, the European Union has reached agreements with a number of North African countries aimed at curtailing undocumented migration.
