A minimum of seven souls lost their lives and many others are lost after a craft carrying approximately 200 migrants trying to get to European shores capsized near the shoreline of Gambia, reports confirm.
The boat overturned in the early hours of Thursday in the vicinity of Jinack village in the northern bank region and it was subsequently discovered "stranded on a sandbar", the country's defence ministry announced officially.
Ninety-six people have been saved to date and a hunt is ongoing for those still missing who were aboard the capsized craft that was bound for the Spanish Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African migrants seeking entry into the EU.
Nearly 47,000 people arrived at the Spanish archipelago in the year 2024 and estimates more than nine thousand individuals have died trying.
Rescue Operation
After Wednesday's accident, The Gambian Navy began a rescue mission, involving multiple navy ships and a fishing vessel that joined the effort, the defence ministry reported.
Reports indicate several of the victims are not Gambian nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The deceased of the seven victims who died were found, and a dozen of the saved are described as being in critical condition and receiving urgent medical care.
A Frequent Pathway
The Gambia is one of the routes utilized by asylum seekers trying to reach Europe, typically through dangerous journeys by sea and land.
Over the past few years, the European Union has established pacts with multiple North African nations designed to limiting irregular migration.
