A minimum of seven souls have died and a significant number remain unaccounted for in the wake of a vessel ferrying around 200 people attempting to reach European shores overturned near the shoreline of the Gambian coast, reports confirm.
The vessel capsized late Wednesday night in the vicinity of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was afterwards located "beached on a shoal", the country's defence ministry announced officially.
96 individuals have been saved to date and a hunt is ongoing for other passengers who were traveling on the sunken boat that was heading towards the Canary Islands of Spain.
The hazardous trip over the the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for migrants from Africa trying to reach the EU.
Almost 47,000 individuals made it to the Canary Islands in the year 2024 and estimates in excess of 9,000 people have lost their lives in the attempt.
Rescue Operation
After Wednesday's accident, the navy initiated a search operation, using several naval vessels and a fishing boat that offered help, the defense officials confirmed.
Authorities say a number of those who died are not from The Gambia and that their details are still being checked.
The remains of the seven individuals who died were found, and a dozen of the saved are reported to be in serious condition and receiving urgent medical care.
A Common Migration Route
The Gambia is one of the routes used by migrants trying to reach the EU, typically through perilous trips across ocean and terrain.
Over the past few years, the European bloc has established pacts with a number of Maghreb states with the goal of reducing undocumented migration.
