No fewer than seven individuals lost their lives and many others remain unaccounted for after a vessel ferrying around 200 people trying to get to the European continent sank near the shoreline of Gambia, reports confirm.
The craft flipped late Wednesday night in the vicinity of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was subsequently discovered "stranded on a sandbar", the Gambian military authorities announced officially.
96 individuals were pulled to safety and a search is continuing for the remaining passengers who were traveling on the capsized craft that was heading towards the Spanish Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African asylum seekers trying to reach European nations.
Nearly forty-seven thousand migrants reached the Spanish archipelago in 2024 and data indicates in excess of 9,000 people perished during the journey.
Ongoing Mission
Following the Wednesday incident, Gambia's naval forces began a search operation, deploying several naval vessels and a commercial fishing craft that joined the effort, the defence ministry said.
Reports indicate several of the victims are not Gambian nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The deceased of the seven victims who died have been recovered, and a dozen of the saved are reported to be in grave health and receiving urgent medical care.
A Frequent Pathway
This West African nation is one of the routes used by asylum seekers attempting to enter Europe, typically through hazardous voyages by sea and land.
Recently, the EU has reached agreements with a number of North African nations aimed at reducing irregular migration.