A minimum of seven souls have perished and many others are missing after a boat ferrying about two hundred migrants trying to get to Europe overturned in waters near the Gambian coast, authorities say.
The vessel capsized late Wednesday night near Jinack village in the North Bank area and it was later found "beached on a shoal", the country's defence ministry stated in a release.
Nearly one hundred people have been rescued so far and a search is continuing for other passengers who were traveling on the capsized craft that was en route to the Canary Islands of Spain.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic Ocean has grown into a more frequent path for African migrants attempting to get to European nations.
Close to 47,000 people reached the Spanish archipelago in 2024 and data indicates over 9,000 migrants have lost their lives in the attempt.
Ongoing Mission
After Wednesday's accident, The Gambian Navy began a search operation, involving a number of military boats and a commercial fishing craft that came to assist, the defense officials said.
Authorities say several of the victims are foreign nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The bodies of the seven individuals who died have been recovered, and 10 of those rescued are described as being in grave health and undergoing emergency treatment.
An Established Corridor
Gambia is a frequent corridor used by migrants seeking to get to Europe, often on hazardous voyages by sea and land.
Recently, the European Union has forged deals with multiple North African nations aimed at reducing undocumented migration.
