At least seven people have died and a significant number are lost in the wake of a craft transporting approximately two hundred migrants trying to get to Europe sank in waters near The Gambia, officials state.
The vessel capsized on Wednesday midnight in the vicinity of Jinack village in the North Bank Region and it was subsequently discovered "beached on a shoal", the Gambian military authorities said in a statement.
96 individuals have been saved to date and a search is continuing for the remaining passengers who were aboard the capsized craft that was heading towards the Spanish Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic Ocean has emerged as a rising pathway for migrants from Africa trying to reach the EU.
Almost 47,000 people arrived at the Canaries in 2024 and figures suggest over nine thousand individuals have died during the journey.
Rescue Operation
Following the Wednesday incident, Gambia's naval forces launched a search operation, using a number of military boats and a fishing boat that joined the effort, the defence ministry reported.
Reports indicate a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The bodies of the seven individuals who drowned have been retrieved, and a dozen of the saved are said to be in serious condition and receiving urgent medical care.
An Established Corridor
This West African nation is one of the routes taken by migrants trying to reach the EU, frequently via dangerous journeys over water and land.
Over the past few years, the EU has established pacts with a number of North African countries aimed at reducing irregular migration.
