At least seven people have perished and numerous others are lost following a craft carrying around two hundred people attempting to reach the European continent sank near the shoreline of Gambia, authorities say.
The craft flipped on Wednesday midnight close to the village of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was later found "grounded on a sandbank", the country's defence ministry stated in a release.
96 individuals have been saved to date and a hunt is ongoing for other passengers who were on board the shipwrecked vessel that was bound for the Canary Islands of Spain.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African asylum seekers attempting to get to the EU.
Close to 47,000 individuals made it to the Spanish archipelago in the year 2024 and data indicates more than nine thousand individuals perished in the attempt.
Rescue Operation
In the aftermath of the disaster, Gambia's naval forces initiated a rescue mission, using several naval vessels and a fishing boat that joined the effort, the military said.
Officials state a number of those who died are foreign nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The bodies of the seven individuals who died have been retrieved, and ten of the survivors are described as being in serious condition and receiving urgent medical care.
A Common Migration Route
Gambia is a common pathway used by asylum seekers attempting to enter Europe, frequently via perilous trips over water and land.
Recently, the European bloc has reached agreements with several North African countries with the goal of limiting irregular migration.
