At least seven souls have died and a significant number are lost in the wake of a vessel transporting approximately 200 people seeking to enter Europe capsized off the coast of Gambia, authorities say.
The vessel capsized on Wednesday midnight in the vicinity of Jinack village in the northern bank region and it was subsequently discovered "grounded on a sandbank", the Gambian military authorities said in a statement.
Nearly one hundred people have been saved to date and a rescue operation continues for the remaining passengers who were aboard the capsized craft that was bound for the Canary Islands of Spain.
The dangerous voyage over the the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for migrants from Africa seeking entry into the EU.
Nearly 47,000 people reached the Spanish archipelago in 2024 and estimates more than 9,000 migrants have died trying.
Rescue Operation
After Wednesday's accident, the navy initiated a search operation, using a number of military boats and a fishing vessel that came to assist, the defense officials confirmed.
Authorities say several of the victims are not Gambian nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The bodies of the seven individuals who died were found, and ten of the survivors are reported to be in serious condition and getting immediate medical attention.
A Common Migration Route
The Gambia is one of the routes taken by migrants seeking to get to Europe, typically through dangerous journeys over water and land.
Recently, the European bloc has reached agreements with a number of Maghreb states designed to limiting irregular migration.
