At least seven souls have perished and numerous others are lost in the wake of a vessel transporting about two hundred people attempting to reach the European continent overturned off the coast of The Gambia, officials state.
The craft flipped on Wednesday midnight close to Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was later found "stranded on a sandbar", the nation's defense ministry stated in a release.
Ninety-six people were pulled to safety and a hunt is ongoing for other passengers who were on board the capsized craft that was bound for Spain's Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic Ocean has become an increasingly common route for migrants from Africa attempting to get to Europe.
Almost 47,000 people made it to the Spanish archipelago in 2024 and figures suggest in excess of nine thousand individuals perished during the journey.
Search and Rescue Efforts
After Wednesday's accident, The Gambian Navy launched a rescue mission, deploying multiple navy ships and a fishing boat that joined the effort, the defence ministry reported.
Authorities say several of the victims are not from The Gambia and that their identities are still being verified.
The bodies of the seven people who perished at sea have been retrieved, and 10 of those rescued are reported to be in critical condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Common Migration Route
This West African nation is one of the routes taken by migrants seeking to get to European countries, typically through perilous trips over water and land.
Over the past few years, the EU has reached agreements with multiple North African nations aimed at curtailing undocumented migration.
