No fewer than seven people have perished and numerous others are missing following a craft ferrying around 200 migrants seeking to enter Europe sank near the shoreline of Gambia, officials state.
The craft flipped in the early hours of Thursday close to Jinack village in the North Bank area and it was later found "beached on a shoal", the Gambian military authorities announced officially.
Ninety-six people have been saved to date and a rescue operation continues for those still missing who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was heading towards the Canary Islands of Spain.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African asylum seekers attempting to get to European nations.
Almost 47,000 people reached the Canary Islands in the year 2024 and estimates more than nine thousand individuals perished during the journey.
Ongoing Mission
After Wednesday's accident, the navy began a search-and-rescue operation, using multiple navy ships and a commercial fishing craft that offered help, the military reported.
Authorities say some of the deceased are not Gambian nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The remains of the seven victims who drowned have been retrieved, and a dozen of the saved are described as being in serious condition and getting immediate medical attention.
A Common Migration Route
This West African nation is a common pathway taken by asylum seekers seeking to get to Europe, typically through hazardous voyages across ocean and terrain.
Recently, the European Union has forged deals with a number of North African countries with the goal of limiting irregular migration.
