At least seven souls lost their lives and many others are lost following a craft ferrying approximately two hundred migrants attempting to reach Europe overturned off the coast of Gambia, reports confirm.
The boat overturned on Wednesday midnight in the vicinity of the village of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was later found "beached on a shoal", the country's defence ministry stated in a release.
Ninety-six people have been saved to date and a rescue operation continues for the remaining passengers who were traveling on the sunken boat that was bound for the Spanish Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African asylum seekers attempting to get to Europe.
Almost forty-seven thousand migrants made it to the Spanish archipelago in the year 2024 and data indicates over 9,000 migrants have died in the attempt.
Ongoing Mission
Following the Wednesday incident, the navy launched a search operation, using several naval vessels and a fishing vessel that offered help, the defense officials said.
Authorities say some of the deceased are not Gambian nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The bodies of the seven victims who perished at sea have been retrieved, and ten of the survivors are reported to be in critical condition and getting immediate medical attention.
A Frequent Pathway
This West African nation is one of the routes used by migrants trying to reach European countries, frequently via perilous trips across ocean and terrain.
Recently, the European bloc has forged deals with a number of North African nations aimed at curtailing irregular migration.
