A minimum of seven people lost their lives and a significant number are missing in the wake of a craft ferrying about 200 migrants trying to get to European shores overturned near the shoreline of The Gambia, officials state.
The boat overturned in the early hours of Thursday close to Jinack in the North Bank area and it was subsequently discovered "grounded on a sandbank", the country's defence ministry announced officially.
Ninety-six people have been saved to date and a search is continuing for other passengers who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was bound for the Spanish Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic Ocean has become an increasingly common route for African asylum seekers attempting to get to Europe.
Almost 47,000 people made it to the Canaries in 2024 and data indicates over nine thousand individuals have lost their lives during the journey.
Rescue Operation
In the aftermath of the disaster, Gambia's naval forces initiated a search-and-rescue operation, using multiple navy ships and a commercial fishing craft that came to assist, the defense officials said.
Officials state some of the deceased are not Gambian nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The remains of the seven people who drowned were found, and 10 of those rescued are reported to be in critical condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Frequent Pathway
The Gambia is a common pathway used by asylum seekers seeking to get to the EU, frequently via dangerous journeys over water and land.
Over the past few years, the European Union has forged deals with multiple North African countries designed to limiting undocumented migration.
