A minimum of seven souls lost their lives and many others remain unaccounted for after a craft transporting around two hundred people attempting to reach the European continent capsized off the coast of The Gambia, authorities say.
The boat overturned late Wednesday night near the village of Jinack in the North Bank area and it was subsequently discovered "stranded on a sandbar", the Gambian military authorities stated in a release.
Nearly one hundred people have been saved to date and a search is continuing for the remaining passengers who were aboard the shipwrecked vessel that was bound for the Canary Islands of Spain.
The perilous journey over the the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for migrants from Africa seeking entry into European nations.
Almost forty-seven thousand migrants arrived at the Canaries in the year 2024 and data indicates over 9,000 migrants perished during the journey.
Rescue Operation
In the aftermath of the disaster, The Gambian Navy initiated a search operation, using multiple navy ships and a commercial fishing craft that offered help, the military said.
Authorities say a number of those who died are not from The Gambia and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The remains of the seven people who drowned were found, and 10 of those rescued are said to be in critical condition and getting immediate medical attention.
An Established Corridor
The Gambia is one of the routes used by migrants attempting to enter European countries, often on hazardous voyages by sea and land.
In recent years, the EU has reached agreements with a number of North African countries designed to limiting undocumented migration.
