A minimum of seven individuals have died and numerous others are missing after a vessel transporting about two hundred migrants attempting to reach Europe sank in waters near The Gambia, officials state.
The vessel capsized on Wednesday midnight close to Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was later found "grounded on a sandbank", the country's defence ministry announced officially.
96 individuals have been rescued so far and a search is continuing for other passengers who were on board the shipwrecked vessel that was heading towards the Spanish Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for migrants from Africa seeking entry into Europe.
Almost 47,000 people reached the Spanish archipelago in 2024 and figures suggest more than 9,000 migrants have lost their lives during the journey.
Rescue Operation
After Wednesday's accident, the navy began a search operation, using multiple navy ships and a fishing boat that joined the effort, the defence ministry reported.
Authorities say some of the deceased are not from The Gambia and that their identities are still being verified.
The bodies of the seven people who drowned were found, and ten of the survivors are reported to be in serious condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Frequent Pathway
The Gambia is a common pathway used by asylum seekers seeking to get to the EU, typically through hazardous voyages across ocean and terrain.
Recently, the European Union has forged deals with a number of North African nations designed to curtailing undocumented migration.
