At least seven souls have perished and a significant number are lost after a boat ferrying approximately two hundred people attempting to reach Europe sank near the shoreline of Gambia, reports confirm.
The boat overturned on Wednesday midnight in the vicinity of Jinack village in the North Bank area and it was subsequently discovered "grounded on a sandbank", the country's defence ministry announced officially.
Nearly one hundred people have been saved to date and a search is continuing for other passengers who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was bound for Spain's Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for migrants from Africa seeking entry into the EU.
Close to 47,000 people reached the Spanish archipelago in the year 2024 and data indicates more than nine thousand individuals perished trying.
Ongoing Mission
After Wednesday's accident, the navy began a search-and-rescue operation, involving several naval vessels and a fishing boat that offered help, the military confirmed.
Authorities say some of the deceased are not from The Gambia and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The deceased of the seven people who perished at sea have been recovered, and 10 of those rescued are reported to be in grave health and receiving urgent medical care.
A Common Migration Route
Gambia is a frequent corridor taken by migrants trying to reach European countries, often on perilous trips over water and land.
Over the past few years, the EU has forged deals with multiple North African nations aimed at reducing irregular migration.
