At least seven people lost their lives and numerous others remain unaccounted for in the wake of a craft ferrying about 200 migrants attempting to reach European shores capsized in waters near The Gambia, authorities say.
The boat overturned on Wednesday midnight near Jinack village in the northern bank region and it was later found "stranded on a sandbar", the Gambian military authorities said in a statement.
Ninety-six people have been saved to date and a search is continuing for those still missing who were on board the shipwrecked vessel that was heading towards the Canary Islands of Spain.
The hazardous trip over the the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African migrants attempting to get to the EU.
Nearly 47,000 people made it to the Canary Islands in the year 2024 and figures suggest over nine thousand individuals have lost their lives trying.
Rescue Operation
Following the Wednesday incident, Gambia's naval forces launched a search operation, using a number of military boats and a fishing boat that joined the effort, the defense officials confirmed.
Authorities say some of the deceased are not from The Gambia and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The bodies of the seven victims who died have been retrieved, and ten of the survivors are said to be in critical condition and receiving urgent medical care.
A Frequent Pathway
This West African nation is a common pathway taken by migrants attempting to enter European countries, often on perilous trips over water and land.
Recently, the EU has established pacts with a number of North African countries designed to curtailing irregular migration.
