No fewer than seven souls have died and many others are lost after a craft ferrying about 200 migrants seeking to enter the European continent capsized near the shoreline of Gambia, authorities say.
The craft flipped on Wednesday midnight near the village of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was later found "grounded on a sandbank", the Gambian military authorities stated in a release.
Nearly one hundred people have been saved to date and a rescue operation continues for those still missing who were on board the sunken boat that was heading towards the Canary Islands of Spain.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African migrants attempting to get to European nations.
Close to forty-seven thousand migrants made it to the Spanish archipelago in the year 2024 and data indicates more than nine thousand individuals have lost their lives in the attempt.
Rescue Operation
In the aftermath of the disaster, Gambia's naval forces initiated a search operation, involving several naval vessels and a fishing boat that came to assist, the defense officials said.
Reports indicate several of the victims are foreign nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The bodies of the seven people who perished at sea were found, and 10 of those rescued are described as being in critical condition and receiving urgent medical care.
A Common Migration Route
This West African nation is one of the routes taken by migrants trying to reach European countries, typically through perilous trips across ocean and terrain.
Recently, the EU has forged deals with a number of North African nations aimed at curtailing undocumented migration.
