No fewer than seven souls have died and numerous others remain unaccounted for following a craft transporting around 200 migrants seeking to enter Europe capsized in waters near the Gambian coast, authorities say.
The craft flipped in the early hours of Thursday near Jinack village in the North Bank Region and it was later found "grounded on a sandbank", the Gambian military authorities announced officially.
Nearly one hundred people have been rescued so far and a hunt is ongoing for those still missing who were on board the shipwrecked vessel that was heading towards the Canary Islands of Spain.
The perilous journey over the the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African asylum seekers attempting to get to Europe.
Almost forty-seven thousand migrants arrived at the Spanish archipelago in the year 2024 and data indicates more than nine thousand individuals have lost their lives trying.
Ongoing Mission
After Wednesday's accident, the navy initiated a search operation, deploying several naval vessels and a fishing boat that came to assist, the defence ministry reported.
Officials state some of the deceased are not from The Gambia and that their details are still being checked.
The remains of the seven individuals who died were found, and ten of the survivors are said to be in serious condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Common Migration Route
Gambia is one of the routes utilized by migrants seeking to get to Europe, typically through perilous trips across ocean and terrain.
Over the past few years, the European bloc has reached agreements with a number of North African nations aimed at reducing irregular migration.
