At least seven souls lost their lives and many others remain unaccounted for in the wake of a vessel ferrying around 200 migrants trying to get to European shores overturned near the shoreline of The Gambia, authorities say.
The vessel capsized in the early hours of Thursday close to Jinack village in the North Bank Region and it was subsequently discovered "stranded on a sandbar", the Gambian military authorities stated in a release.
96 individuals have been rescued so far and a search is continuing for other passengers who were on board the capsized craft 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 European nations.
Close to forty-seven thousand migrants arrived at the Spanish archipelago in the year 2024 and data indicates over 9,000 migrants perished in the attempt.
Rescue Operation
After Wednesday's accident, the navy initiated a rescue mission, using a number of military boats and a fishing boat that joined the effort, the defence ministry confirmed.
Authorities say a number of those who died are foreign nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The deceased of the seven individuals who perished at sea have been retrieved, and ten of the survivors are reported to be in critical condition and getting immediate medical attention.
A Frequent Pathway
The Gambia is one of the routes utilized by migrants seeking to get to Europe, frequently via perilous trips across ocean and terrain.
In recent years, the European Union has reached agreements with a number of North African countries designed to limiting illegal migration.
