No fewer than seven souls lost their lives and numerous others are missing following a vessel transporting around 200 migrants trying to get to the European continent sank off the coast of the Gambian coast, officials state.
The craft flipped in the early hours of Thursday close to the village of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was afterwards located "stranded on a sandbar", the country's defence ministry announced officially.
Ninety-six people were pulled to safety and a search is continuing for those still missing who were traveling on the sunken boat that was bound for the Spanish Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African asylum seekers trying to reach Europe.
Nearly 47,000 people arrived at the Canaries in 2024 and data indicates more than 9,000 people have lost their lives in the attempt.
Rescue Operation
Following the Wednesday incident, The Gambian Navy initiated a rescue mission, involving a number of military boats and a fishing boat that came to assist, the military reported.
Reports indicate a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The remains of the seven victims who perished at sea were found, and ten of the survivors are described as being in grave health and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Common Migration Route
Gambia is a common pathway taken by migrants attempting to enter European countries, typically through perilous trips by sea and land.
Over the past few years, the European bloc has reached agreements with a number of Maghreb states designed to limiting undocumented migration.
