A minimum of seven souls have died and many others are lost after a craft transporting about two hundred people trying to get to European shores sank in waters near Gambia, authorities say.
The vessel capsized in the early hours of Thursday near Jinack village in the North Bank area and it was later found "beached on a shoal", the nation's defense ministry said in a statement.
Nearly one hundred people have been rescued so far and a rescue operation continues for the remaining passengers who were aboard the sunken boat that was en route to Spain's Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African asylum seekers attempting to get to the EU.
Close to 47,000 individuals reached the Canary Islands in the year 2024 and estimates more than 9,000 migrants have lost their lives in the attempt.
Search and Rescue Efforts
After Wednesday's accident, the navy began a search operation, using several naval vessels and a commercial fishing craft that joined the effort, the defence ministry reported.
Authorities say several of the victims are foreign nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The remains of the seven victims who died have been recovered, and ten of the survivors are said to be in serious condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
An Established Corridor
This West African nation is a frequent corridor taken by asylum seekers seeking to get to European countries, often on perilous trips by sea and land.
Over the past few years, the European Union has reached agreements with multiple North African nations with the goal of reducing illegal migration.
