A minimum of seven individuals lost their lives and numerous others are missing following a boat ferrying around two hundred migrants trying to get to Europe overturned off the coast of The Gambia, authorities say.
The craft flipped in the early hours of Thursday near Jinack village in the North Bank Region and it was later found "stranded on a sandbar", the country's defence ministry said in a statement.
Nearly one hundred people have been rescued so far and a hunt is ongoing for the remaining passengers who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was en route to the Canary Islands of Spain.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African migrants attempting to get to the EU.
Almost 47,000 individuals arrived at the Canary Islands in 2024 and figures suggest over 9,000 migrants have died trying.
Rescue Operation
In the aftermath of the disaster, the navy initiated a rescue mission, involving a number of military boats and a fishing boat that offered help, the military reported.
Officials state some of the deceased are not Gambian nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The remains of the seven people who drowned were found, and a dozen of the saved are reported to be in serious condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
An Established Corridor
This West African nation is a frequent corridor taken by migrants seeking to get to European countries, frequently via hazardous voyages across ocean and terrain.
In recent years, the European bloc has established pacts with several North African nations aimed at limiting undocumented migration.
