At least seven people lost their lives and a significant number remain unaccounted for in the wake of a vessel ferrying about two hundred people seeking to enter Europe overturned off the coast of The Gambia, officials state.
The craft flipped on Wednesday midnight close to Jinack village in the North Bank Region and it was later found "beached on a shoal", the country's defence ministry stated in a release.
Ninety-six people have been rescued so far and a search is continuing for the remaining passengers who were aboard the capsized craft that was heading towards Spain's Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic Ocean has grown into a more frequent path for African migrants trying to reach Europe.
Almost 47,000 individuals reached the Spanish archipelago in 2024 and estimates over 9,000 migrants have died in the attempt.
Search and Rescue Efforts
Following the Wednesday incident, Gambia's naval forces initiated a search-and-rescue operation, involving multiple navy ships and a commercial fishing craft that joined the effort, the defense officials reported.
Reports indicate several of the victims are not Gambian nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The bodies of the seven people who perished at sea have been retrieved, and a dozen of the saved are said to be in critical condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
An Established Corridor
This West African nation is a frequent corridor taken by migrants trying to reach the EU, typically through hazardous voyages over water and land.
In recent years, the European bloc has established pacts with several North African countries with the goal of limiting illegal migration.
