No fewer than seven souls have perished and a significant number remain unaccounted for after a craft ferrying around 200 migrants seeking to enter European shores capsized in waters near The Gambia, authorities say.
The vessel capsized on Wednesday midnight in the vicinity of the village of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was later found "beached on a shoal", the country's defence ministry said in a statement.
Nearly one hundred people have been rescued so far and a rescue operation continues for the remaining passengers who were aboard the capsized craft that was en route to the Canary Islands of Spain.
The dangerous voyage over the the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for migrants from Africa trying to reach the EU.
Almost 47,000 people reached the Canaries in the year 2024 and estimates more than nine thousand individuals perished in the attempt.
Rescue Operation
After Wednesday's accident, Gambia's naval forces began a search operation, deploying multiple navy ships and a commercial fishing craft that offered help, the military confirmed.
Officials state a number of those who died are not from The Gambia and that their identities are still being verified.
The remains of the seven victims who drowned have been retrieved, and 10 of those rescued are described as being in grave health and getting immediate medical attention.
A Common Migration Route
Gambia is one of the routes used by migrants trying to reach Europe, frequently via hazardous voyages by sea and land.
Over the past few years, the EU has forged deals with several North African countries with the goal of curtailing illegal migration.
