No fewer than seven souls lost their lives and a significant number are missing in the wake of a vessel transporting around 200 migrants trying to get to Europe overturned in waters near The Gambia, authorities say.
The craft flipped in the early hours of Thursday near Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was subsequently discovered "grounded on a sandbank", the Gambian military authorities announced officially.
96 individuals were pulled to safety and a search is continuing for the remaining passengers who were traveling on the capsized craft that was heading towards Spain's Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic Ocean has emerged as a rising pathway for migrants from Africa attempting to get to the EU.
Almost 47,000 individuals arrived at the Spanish archipelago in 2024 and estimates more than 9,000 migrants have lost their lives trying.
Rescue Operation
In the aftermath of the disaster, the navy began a search-and-rescue operation, involving multiple navy ships and a fishing vessel that came to assist, the defense officials reported.
Officials state a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The deceased of the seven individuals who drowned have been retrieved, and a dozen of the saved are described as being in critical condition and receiving urgent medical care.
An Established Corridor
This West African nation is a common pathway utilized by migrants attempting to enter Europe, often on dangerous journeys by sea and land.
Recently, the EU has reached agreements with a number of North African nations with the goal of reducing illegal migration.
