At least seven souls lost their lives and numerous others are missing after a boat carrying approximately two hundred migrants attempting to reach the European continent overturned in waters near The Gambia, authorities say.
The craft flipped late Wednesday night in the vicinity of the village of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was afterwards located "grounded on a sandbank", the country's defence ministry stated in a release.
Nearly one hundred people were pulled to safety and a search is continuing for those still missing who were traveling on the capsized craft that was en route to Spain's Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for migrants from Africa trying to reach European nations.
Nearly 47,000 individuals reached the Canaries in the year 2024 and data indicates more than 9,000 people have lost their lives during the journey.
Rescue Operation
In the aftermath of the disaster, The Gambian Navy began a rescue mission, involving multiple navy ships and a fishing vessel that joined the effort, the defence ministry said.
Authorities say some of the deceased are not from The Gambia and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The remains of the seven victims who died have been retrieved, and a dozen of the saved are reported to be in critical condition and receiving urgent medical care.
A Common Migration Route
This West African nation is a common pathway taken by migrants seeking to get to Europe, typically through hazardous voyages by sea and land.
Recently, the EU has established pacts with a number of North African nations designed to reducing irregular migration.
