No fewer than seven people lost their lives and numerous others are lost in the wake of a craft carrying about two hundred migrants seeking to enter European shores sank in waters near The Gambia, authorities say.
The boat overturned on Wednesday midnight in the vicinity of the village of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was afterwards located "grounded on a sandbank", the Gambian military authorities announced officially.
Nearly one hundred people have been saved to date and a search is continuing for other passengers who were aboard the shipwrecked vessel that was heading towards the Spanish Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic Ocean has grown into a more frequent path for migrants from Africa attempting to get to the EU.
Close to 47,000 people reached the Canary Islands in 2024 and figures suggest more than 9,000 people have lost their lives trying.
Search and Rescue Efforts
Following the Wednesday incident, the navy initiated a rescue mission, involving several naval vessels and a fishing vessel that offered help, the defence ministry confirmed.
Authorities say a number of those who died are not from The Gambia and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The deceased of the seven victims who perished at sea have been retrieved, and a dozen of the saved are said to be in grave health and receiving urgent medical care.
An Established Corridor
Gambia is a frequent corridor used by migrants attempting to enter Europe, often on dangerous journeys by sea and land.
Over the past few years, the European bloc has established pacts with several Maghreb states aimed at curtailing undocumented migration.
