At least seven souls lost their lives and numerous others are missing after a craft transporting about 200 migrants attempting to reach European shores capsized near the shoreline of the Gambian coast, officials state.
The boat overturned on Wednesday midnight near Jinack village in the North Bank area and it was later found "grounded on a sandbank", the Gambian military authorities said in a statement.
Ninety-six people were pulled to safety 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 dangerous voyage over the Atlantic Ocean 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 9,000 people have died trying.
Ongoing Mission
Following the Wednesday incident, the navy began a search-and-rescue operation, deploying several naval vessels and a fishing boat that joined the effort, the military confirmed.
Officials state a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The remains of the seven individuals who drowned have been recovered, and ten of the survivors are reported to be in serious condition and receiving urgent medical care.
An Established Corridor
Gambia is one of the routes used by asylum seekers attempting to enter the EU, often on hazardous voyages by sea and land.
In recent years, the European bloc has forged deals with a number of Maghreb states designed to curtailing irregular migration.
