A minimum of seven individuals have perished and numerous others are lost following a vessel ferrying about two hundred migrants seeking to enter the European continent capsized in waters near Gambia, authorities say.
The boat overturned in the early hours of Thursday near the village of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was subsequently discovered "grounded on a sandbank", the Gambian military authorities stated in a release.
96 individuals have been rescued so far and a rescue operation continues for the remaining passengers who were on board the sunken boat that was heading towards the Canary Islands of Spain.
The dangerous voyage over the the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African asylum seekers attempting to get to the EU.
Close to 47,000 people made it to the Canaries in the year 2024 and estimates more than nine thousand individuals perished trying.
Rescue Operation
Following the Wednesday incident, The Gambian Navy began a rescue mission, deploying a number of military boats and a fishing vessel that came to assist, the military said.
Reports indicate several of the victims are not Gambian nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The bodies of the seven victims who drowned have been retrieved, and a dozen of the saved are reported to be in serious condition and getting immediate medical attention.
An Established Corridor
This West African nation is a common pathway used by migrants trying to reach the EU, often on hazardous voyages by sea and land.
Recently, the European bloc has established pacts with multiple North African nations aimed at reducing undocumented migration.
