At least seven souls lost their lives and numerous others are missing after a vessel transporting around 200 people seeking to enter the European continent capsized off the coast of The Gambia, reports confirm.
The boat overturned late Wednesday night near Jinack village in the northern bank region and it was afterwards located "stranded on a sandbar", the country's defence ministry stated in a release.
96 individuals have been saved to date and a hunt is ongoing for the remaining passengers who were traveling on the capsized craft that was heading towards the Canary Islands of Spain.
The perilous journey over the the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African asylum seekers attempting to get to European nations.
Nearly 47,000 people made it to the Canary Islands in the year 2024 and figures suggest more than 9,000 people have died in the attempt.
Search and Rescue Efforts
In the aftermath of the disaster, The Gambian Navy began a search-and-rescue operation, using several naval vessels and a fishing vessel that offered help, the defence ministry confirmed.
Officials state some of the deceased are not from The Gambia and that their identities are still being verified.
The bodies of the seven people who drowned were found, and 10 of those rescued are described as being in grave health and getting immediate medical attention.
A Common Migration Route
Gambia is one of the routes taken by asylum seekers trying to reach Europe, frequently via perilous trips across ocean and terrain.
In recent years, the European Union has established pacts with several North African nations aimed at curtailing illegal migration.
