No fewer than seven souls have died and a significant number are missing in the wake of a craft carrying around 200 migrants seeking to enter Europe sank in waters near Gambia, reports confirm.
The boat overturned in the early hours of Thursday close to Jinack in the North Bank area and it was afterwards located "beached on a shoal", the country's defence ministry stated in a release.
Ninety-six people were pulled to safety and a hunt is ongoing for those still missing who were on board the sunken boat that was en route to the Spanish Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African migrants seeking entry into Europe.
Nearly forty-seven thousand migrants reached the Canary Islands in the year 2024 and figures suggest over 9,000 people have died trying.
Rescue Operation
After Wednesday's accident, The Gambian Navy launched a rescue mission, involving a number of military boats and a commercial fishing craft that offered help, the military confirmed.
Authorities say several of the victims are not Gambian nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The deceased of the seven people who died have been recovered, and 10 of those rescued are said to be in serious condition and receiving urgent medical care.
A Common Migration Route
This West African nation is one of the routes taken by migrants seeking to get to European countries, typically through hazardous voyages over water and land.
In recent years, the European bloc has established pacts with multiple North African nations aimed at reducing undocumented migration.
