No fewer than seven people have perished and many others are missing following a boat carrying approximately 200 migrants trying to get to European shores sank in waters near the Gambian coast, reports confirm.
The vessel capsized in the early hours of Thursday close to Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was subsequently discovered "stranded on a sandbar", the Gambian military authorities announced officially.
96 individuals were pulled to safety and a search is continuing for other passengers who were on board the shipwrecked vessel that was bound for Spain's Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic Ocean has grown into a more frequent path for African migrants seeking entry into Europe.
Almost forty-seven thousand migrants arrived at the Canaries in the year 2024 and data indicates in excess of 9,000 migrants perished trying.
Ongoing Mission
After Wednesday's accident, the navy began a search-and-rescue operation, using a number of military boats and a fishing vessel that joined the effort, the defense officials confirmed.
Officials state 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 recovered, and a dozen of the saved are reported to be in critical condition and receiving urgent medical care.
A Common Migration Route
Gambia is one of the routes taken by migrants attempting to enter European countries, typically through perilous trips by sea and land.
Over the past few years, the EU has reached agreements with a number of North African countries with the goal of curtailing illegal migration.
