No fewer than seven souls have perished and many others are lost after a boat carrying approximately 200 migrants seeking to enter Europe overturned near the shoreline of The Gambia, officials state.
The craft flipped on Wednesday midnight close to Jinack in the northern bank region and it was afterwards located "beached on a shoal", the nation's defense ministry said in a statement.
Nearly one hundred people have been saved to date and a rescue operation continues for those still missing who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was heading towards Spain's Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic Ocean has become an increasingly common route for African migrants attempting to get to European nations.
Close to 47,000 individuals reached the Spanish archipelago in 2024 and figures suggest in excess of 9,000 people have died during the journey.
Ongoing Mission
In the aftermath of the disaster, the navy initiated a rescue mission, deploying multiple navy ships and a commercial fishing craft that joined the effort, the defense officials confirmed.
Authorities say some of the deceased are foreign nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The deceased of the seven individuals who drowned were found, and 10 of those rescued are described as being in critical condition and getting immediate medical attention.
A Common Migration Route
The Gambia is a common pathway used by asylum seekers seeking to get to the EU, often on hazardous voyages by sea and land.
In recent years, the European bloc has reached agreements with multiple North African countries with the goal of reducing illegal migration.
