No fewer than seven souls lost their lives and a significant number are lost in the wake of a vessel transporting approximately 200 migrants trying to get to European shores overturned in waters near The Gambia, officials state.
The craft flipped on Wednesday midnight close to the village of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was subsequently discovered "beached on a shoal", the country's defence ministry announced officially.
96 individuals have been rescued so far and a search is continuing for the remaining passengers who were on board the shipwrecked vessel that was en route to the Spanish Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic Ocean has become an increasingly common route for African asylum seekers attempting to get to European nations.
Almost forty-seven thousand migrants reached the Canaries in the year 2024 and estimates more than 9,000 people have lost their lives during the journey.
Search and Rescue Efforts
Following the Wednesday incident, Gambia's naval forces began a rescue mission, using a number of military boats and a fishing vessel that offered help, the defense officials confirmed.
Reports indicate a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The bodies of the seven individuals who died have been retrieved, and 10 of those rescued are said to be in serious condition and getting immediate medical attention.
A Common Migration Route
This West African nation is a common pathway utilized by migrants attempting to enter the EU, typically through perilous trips by sea and land.
In recent years, the EU has established pacts with multiple North African nations with the goal of reducing undocumented migration.
