No fewer than seven people lost their lives and a significant number remain unaccounted for in the wake of a vessel ferrying around two hundred people attempting to reach European shores sank near the shoreline of Gambia, officials state.
The boat overturned late Wednesday night close to the village of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was afterwards located "beached on a shoal", the nation's defense ministry announced officially.
Ninety-six people have been saved to date and a hunt is ongoing for other passengers who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was heading towards the Canary Islands of Spain.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic Ocean has emerged as a rising pathway for African migrants trying to reach European nations.
Nearly 47,000 individuals made it to the Spanish archipelago in the year 2024 and estimates in excess of 9,000 migrants have died trying.
Ongoing Mission
After Wednesday's accident, The Gambian Navy initiated a rescue mission, involving a number of military boats and a fishing boat that came to assist, the defense officials said.
Reports indicate a number of those who died are foreign nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The deceased of the seven victims who drowned were found, and 10 of those rescued are reported to be in serious condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Frequent Pathway
The Gambia is one of the routes used by migrants attempting to enter the EU, typically through perilous trips over water and land.
In recent years, the European bloc has established pacts with a number of Maghreb states with the goal of curtailing undocumented migration.
