No fewer than seven souls have perished and many others are missing following a vessel carrying approximately 200 migrants attempting to reach Europe capsized in waters near Gambia, reports confirm.
The boat overturned in the early hours of Thursday near Jinack in the North Bank area and it was subsequently discovered "stranded on a sandbar", the country's defence ministry announced officially.
96 individuals have been rescued so far and a search is continuing for those still missing who were aboard the capsized craft that was en route to the Canary Islands of Spain.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African asylum seekers seeking entry into the EU.
Close to 47,000 individuals reached the Spanish archipelago in the year 2024 and figures suggest over nine thousand individuals have lost their lives trying.
Rescue Operation
Following the Wednesday incident, the navy initiated a search operation, using a number of military boats and a commercial fishing craft that came to assist, the defense officials confirmed.
Authorities say several of the victims are foreign nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The bodies of the seven people who died have been recovered, and 10 of those rescued are reported to be in critical condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
An Established Corridor
This West African nation is one of the routes utilized by asylum seekers seeking to get to the EU, frequently via hazardous voyages across ocean and terrain.
In recent years, the European Union has reached agreements with several Maghreb states aimed at curtailing irregular migration.
