At least seven souls lost their lives and many others are missing in the wake of a boat ferrying approximately 200 people attempting to reach the European continent capsized near the shoreline of The Gambia, authorities say.
The boat overturned on Wednesday midnight near the village of Jinack in the North Bank area and it was subsequently discovered "stranded on a sandbar", the Gambian military authorities announced officially.
Nearly one hundred people have been saved to date and a hunt is ongoing for those still missing who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was bound for the Canary Islands of Spain.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic Ocean has become an increasingly common route for African asylum seekers trying to reach European nations.
Almost forty-seven thousand migrants arrived at the Spanish archipelago in 2024 and figures suggest over nine thousand individuals have lost their lives trying.
Rescue Operation
After Wednesday's accident, Gambia's naval forces initiated a search-and-rescue operation, deploying a number of military boats and a fishing boat that offered help, the military reported.
Reports indicate some of the deceased are foreign nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The remains of the seven victims who drowned were found, and ten of the survivors are reported to be in grave health and receiving urgent medical care.
An Established Corridor
Gambia is a common pathway taken by migrants seeking to get to Europe, frequently via dangerous journeys over water and land.
Over the past few years, the European bloc has reached agreements with several North African nations designed to reducing illegal migration.
