A minimum of seven souls have died and numerous others are missing after a craft ferrying around two hundred migrants seeking to enter Europe capsized near the shoreline of The Gambia, authorities say.
The boat overturned on Wednesday midnight close to the village of Jinack in the North Bank area and it was subsequently discovered "beached on a shoal", the Gambian military authorities announced officially.
Ninety-six people have been saved to date and a rescue operation continues for the remaining passengers who were on board the sunken boat that was heading towards the Spanish Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African asylum seekers trying to reach Europe.
Almost forty-seven thousand migrants reached the Canaries in 2024 and estimates over 9,000 people have died during the journey.
Search and Rescue Efforts
After Wednesday's accident, The Gambian Navy began a rescue mission, involving several naval vessels and a fishing boat that joined the effort, the defence ministry said.
Authorities say some of the deceased are not Gambian nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The remains of the seven people who died have been recovered, and 10 of those rescued are described as being in grave health and receiving urgent medical care.
An Established Corridor
This West African nation is a frequent corridor used by migrants trying to reach European countries, often on hazardous voyages over water and land.
Over the past few years, the EU has reached agreements with a number of North African countries aimed at curtailing undocumented migration.
