No fewer than seven people have died and numerous others are missing in the wake of a craft ferrying approximately 200 migrants trying to get to Europe capsized near the shoreline of The Gambia, reports confirm.
The boat overturned in the early hours of Thursday close to Jinack village in the North Bank Region and it was later found "stranded on a sandbar", the nation's defense ministry stated in a release.
Ninety-six people have been rescued so far and a hunt is ongoing for those still missing who were on board the shipwrecked vessel that was heading towards Spain's Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for migrants from Africa seeking entry into Europe.
Close to 47,000 people reached the Canary Islands in 2024 and figures suggest more than 9,000 people have died during the journey.
Rescue Operation
In the aftermath of the disaster, The Gambian Navy initiated a search-and-rescue operation, using a number of military boats and a fishing vessel that offered help, the military reported.
Authorities say several of the victims are not Gambian nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The remains of the seven victims who perished at sea have been retrieved, and ten of the survivors are described as being in critical condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
An Established Corridor
Gambia is one of the routes taken by migrants seeking to get to Europe, typically through dangerous journeys over water and land.
Over the past few years, the European bloc has reached agreements with several Maghreb states aimed at reducing irregular migration.
