At least seven individuals have perished and many others remain unaccounted for in the wake of a craft ferrying around 200 migrants seeking to enter the European continent capsized in waters near The Gambia, officials state.
The boat overturned in the early hours of Thursday near Jinack village in the North Bank Region and it was later found "stranded on a sandbar", the Gambian military authorities announced officially.
96 individuals were pulled to safety and a rescue operation continues for other passengers who were aboard the sunken boat that was bound for the Spanish Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for migrants from Africa trying to reach European nations.
Almost 47,000 people made it to the Spanish archipelago in the year 2024 and data indicates over 9,000 people perished trying.
Ongoing Mission
Following the Wednesday incident, The Gambian Navy began a rescue mission, deploying a number of military boats and a fishing vessel that came to assist, the defence ministry reported.
Authorities say a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The bodies of the seven individuals who perished at sea have been recovered, and a dozen of the saved are said to be in serious condition and getting immediate medical attention.
A Common Migration Route
This West African nation is a common pathway taken by asylum seekers seeking to get to Europe, typically through dangerous journeys by sea and land.
In recent years, the European bloc has reached agreements with several North African nations designed to reducing illegal migration.
