At least seven souls have died and many others are lost in the wake of a craft ferrying about two hundred migrants seeking to enter European shores capsized near the shoreline of The Gambia, officials state.
The boat overturned in the early hours of Thursday in the vicinity of Jinack in the North Bank area and it was subsequently discovered "beached on a shoal", the Gambian military authorities announced officially.
Ninety-six people were pulled to safety and a search is continuing for those still missing who were on board the sunken boat that was bound for the Spanish Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African asylum seekers seeking entry into the EU.
Nearly forty-seven thousand migrants made it to the Canaries in 2024 and figures suggest more than 9,000 people have lost their lives in the attempt.
Ongoing Mission
In the aftermath of the disaster, The Gambian Navy began a search-and-rescue operation, involving a number of military boats and a commercial fishing craft that offered help, the military reported.
Reports indicate some of the deceased are not from The Gambia and that their identities are still being verified.
The bodies of the seven victims who drowned have been recovered, and 10 of those rescued are reported to be in serious condition and receiving urgent medical care.
A Common Migration Route
Gambia is a frequent corridor taken by migrants attempting to enter the EU, frequently via hazardous voyages by sea and land.
Recently, the European Union has forged deals with several North African countries aimed at curtailing undocumented migration.
