A minimum of seven people lost their lives and a significant number are missing in the wake of a craft transporting about two hundred people attempting to reach Europe capsized in waters near Gambia, officials state.
The boat overturned on Wednesday midnight in the vicinity of the village of Jinack in the North Bank area and it was afterwards located "grounded on a sandbank", the nation's defense ministry said in a statement.
96 individuals have been rescued so far and a search is continuing for the remaining passengers who were on board the sunken boat that was heading towards Spain's Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for migrants from Africa seeking entry into the EU.
Almost 47,000 people arrived at the Canary Islands in the year 2024 and figures suggest in excess of 9,000 people have died in the attempt.
Rescue Operation
Following the Wednesday incident, the navy launched a search operation, deploying several naval vessels and a commercial fishing craft that joined the effort, the defence ministry confirmed.
Authorities say a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The remains of the seven victims who drowned were found, and ten of the survivors are said to be in critical condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Frequent Pathway
This West African nation is a frequent corridor utilized by migrants trying to reach European countries, frequently via dangerous journeys over water and land.
Over the past few years, the European Union has established pacts with a number of Maghreb states aimed at limiting illegal migration.
