A minimum of seven people have perished and numerous others are lost following a vessel ferrying around 200 people trying to get to European shores sank in waters near Gambia, reports confirm.
The boat overturned in the early hours of Thursday in the vicinity of Jinack village in the northern bank region and it was later found "stranded on a sandbar", the Gambian military authorities said in a statement.
96 individuals were pulled to safety and a hunt is ongoing for other passengers who were on board the capsized craft that was heading towards the Spanish Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African asylum seekers trying to reach the EU.
Almost 47,000 people arrived at the Canaries in 2024 and estimates in excess of nine thousand individuals have lost their lives during the journey.
Search and Rescue Efforts
After Wednesday's accident, Gambia's naval forces initiated a rescue mission, using several naval vessels and a commercial fishing craft that came to assist, the defence ministry reported.
Authorities say several of the victims are not from The Gambia and that their identities are still being verified.
The remains of the seven individuals who drowned were found, and a dozen of the saved are described as being in critical condition and getting immediate medical attention.
A Common Migration Route
Gambia is one of the routes taken by asylum seekers seeking to get to the EU, typically through dangerous journeys across ocean and terrain.
Recently, the EU has reached agreements with a number of North African countries designed to reducing irregular migration.
