At least seven individuals lost their lives and many others remain unaccounted for in the wake of a boat transporting approximately 200 migrants attempting to reach European shores capsized off the coast of the Gambian coast, authorities say.
The craft flipped in the early hours of Thursday near Jinack in the North Bank area and it was later found "grounded on a sandbank", the nation's defense ministry announced officially.
Ninety-six people have been rescued so far and a rescue operation continues for those still missing who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was en route to the Canary Islands of Spain.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for migrants from Africa seeking entry into Europe.
Nearly 47,000 people made it to the Spanish archipelago in the year 2024 and estimates in excess of 9,000 migrants have died during the journey.
Rescue Operation
After Wednesday's accident, The Gambian Navy initiated a search operation, using a number of military boats and a commercial fishing craft that joined the effort, the defence ministry reported.
Authorities say several of the victims are not from The Gambia and that their identities are still being verified.
The deceased of the seven people who died have been retrieved, and ten of the survivors are reported to be in critical condition and receiving urgent medical care.
A Common Migration Route
This West African nation is a common pathway utilized by migrants seeking to get to the EU, typically through perilous trips across ocean and terrain.
In recent years, the EU has established pacts with multiple Maghreb states aimed at limiting illegal migration.
