No fewer than seven individuals lost their lives and a significant number are lost following a craft carrying about two hundred people attempting to reach the European continent sank off the coast of the Gambian coast, officials state.
The boat overturned in the early hours of Thursday in the vicinity of the village of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was afterwards located "beached on a shoal", the country's defence ministry announced officially.
96 individuals have been rescued so far and a hunt is ongoing for those still missing who were aboard the sunken boat that was bound for the Canary Islands of Spain.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic Ocean has become an increasingly common route for African migrants attempting to get to Europe.
Nearly 47,000 individuals reached the Canary Islands in the year 2024 and figures suggest more than 9,000 people have died trying.
Rescue Operation
After Wednesday's accident, the navy initiated a search-and-rescue operation, deploying several naval vessels and a fishing boat that joined the effort, the defense officials reported.
Authorities say some of the deceased are not from The Gambia and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The deceased of the seven individuals who drowned have been recovered, and 10 of those rescued are reported to be in critical condition and receiving urgent medical care.
A Common Migration Route
The Gambia is one of the routes taken by migrants trying to reach the EU, often on perilous trips across ocean and terrain.
Recently, the European Union has reached agreements with a number of North African countries aimed at reducing irregular migration.
