A minimum of seven souls have perished and numerous others are lost in the wake of a craft transporting approximately 200 migrants attempting to reach European shores sank off the coast of the Gambian coast, reports confirm.
The vessel capsized in the early hours of Thursday close to Jinack village in the northern bank region and it was subsequently discovered "grounded on a sandbank", the country's defence ministry stated in a release.
Nearly one hundred people have been rescued so far and a hunt is ongoing for other passengers who were aboard the sunken boat that was en route to the Canary Islands of Spain.
The perilous journey over the the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for migrants from Africa attempting to get to Europe.
Almost 47,000 people reached the Canary Islands in the year 2024 and figures suggest over 9,000 people perished during the journey.
Rescue Operation
After Wednesday's accident, the navy launched a search-and-rescue operation, involving several naval vessels and a fishing vessel that offered help, the defense officials reported.
Officials state several of the victims are not from The Gambia and that their details are still being checked.
The bodies of the seven people who drowned have been retrieved, and ten of the survivors are described as being in critical condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
An Established Corridor
This West African nation is a frequent corridor taken by asylum seekers seeking to get to Europe, typically through dangerous journeys by sea and land.
Over the past few years, the European bloc has forged deals with a number of North African nations with the goal of limiting irregular migration.
