At least seven individuals have perished and numerous others are lost following a craft ferrying about 200 people attempting to reach the European continent overturned in waters near the Gambian coast, officials state.
The vessel capsized late Wednesday night near Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was later found "grounded on a sandbank", 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 shipwrecked vessel that was heading towards Spain's Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for migrants from Africa seeking entry into European nations.
Nearly 47,000 people made it to the Spanish archipelago in the year 2024 and data indicates in excess of 9,000 people perished during the journey.
Rescue Operation
After Wednesday's accident, Gambia's naval forces began a rescue mission, using a number of military boats and a commercial fishing craft that joined the effort, the defence ministry confirmed.
Reports indicate several of the victims are foreign nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The bodies of the seven victims who perished at sea have been retrieved, and a dozen of the saved are said to be in critical condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Frequent Pathway
Gambia is one of the routes utilized by migrants seeking to get to Europe, frequently via hazardous voyages over water and land.
Over the past few years, the European Union has established pacts with a number of North African countries with the goal of curtailing undocumented migration.
