A minimum of seven souls lost their lives and a significant number are lost following a vessel transporting about 200 people seeking to enter the European continent sank off the coast of Gambia, reports confirm.
The vessel capsized on Wednesday midnight close to Jinack in the North Bank area and it was afterwards located "stranded on a sandbar", the country's defence ministry announced officially.
Nearly one hundred people have been saved to date and a search is continuing for other passengers who were aboard the sunken boat that was heading towards Spain's Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African migrants attempting to get to European nations.
Close to forty-seven thousand migrants arrived at the Spanish archipelago in the year 2024 and data indicates in excess of 9,000 migrants perished in the attempt.
Search and Rescue Efforts
In the aftermath of the disaster, The Gambian Navy began a rescue mission, involving several naval vessels and a fishing boat that offered help, the defence ministry reported.
Authorities say some of the deceased are foreign nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The remains of the seven individuals who perished at sea have been retrieved, and ten of the survivors are said to be in serious condition and getting immediate medical attention.
A Frequent Pathway
This West African nation is one of the routes used by migrants trying to reach the EU, typically through perilous trips over water and land.
In recent years, the EU has established pacts with several North African countries with the goal of limiting irregular migration.
