At least seven individuals have died and a significant number remain unaccounted for after a vessel ferrying around two hundred people trying to get to Europe overturned in waters near Gambia, officials state.
The vessel capsized in the early hours of Thursday near Jinack village in the North Bank Region and it was subsequently discovered "stranded on a sandbar", the Gambian military authorities announced officially.
Nearly one hundred people have been rescued so far and a rescue operation continues for those still missing who were aboard the sunken boat that was en route to Spain's Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic Ocean has become an increasingly common route for African asylum seekers trying to reach the EU.
Nearly forty-seven thousand migrants reached the Canary Islands in 2024 and figures suggest in excess of 9,000 people perished in the attempt.
Ongoing Mission
Following the Wednesday incident, The Gambian Navy launched a search-and-rescue operation, deploying several naval vessels and a fishing boat that came to assist, the defence ministry confirmed.
Officials state a number of those who died are not from The Gambia and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The deceased of the seven people who drowned have been recovered, and ten of the survivors are reported to be in grave health and undergoing emergency treatment.
An Established Corridor
This West African nation is one of the routes used by asylum seekers seeking to get to the EU, typically through dangerous journeys over water and land.
In recent years, the EU has reached agreements with a number of North African nations aimed at limiting illegal migration.
