No fewer than seven souls have died and a significant number are lost after a vessel carrying around two hundred migrants attempting to reach European shores sank off the coast of Gambia, reports confirm.
The craft flipped late Wednesday night close to Jinack village in the North Bank area and it was subsequently discovered "grounded on a sandbank", the nation's defense ministry stated in a release.
Nearly one hundred people were pulled to safety and a hunt is ongoing for other passengers who were aboard the capsized craft that was heading towards the Canary Islands of Spain.
The hazardous trip over the the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African migrants attempting to get to European nations.
Nearly 47,000 individuals arrived at the Spanish archipelago in the year 2024 and figures suggest over 9,000 people have died during the journey.
Rescue Operation
Following the Wednesday incident, The Gambian Navy initiated a search operation, deploying a number of military boats and a commercial fishing craft that came to assist, the military said.
Authorities say several of the victims are foreign nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The remains of the seven victims who perished at sea were found, and ten of the survivors are reported to be in critical condition and receiving urgent medical care.
A Common Migration Route
The Gambia is one of the routes utilized by asylum seekers trying to reach Europe, typically through perilous trips across ocean and terrain.
In recent years, the European bloc has forged deals with multiple Maghreb states aimed at curtailing illegal migration.
