At least seven individuals have perished and a significant number are missing following a vessel ferrying about 200 people seeking to enter European shores sank in waters near the Gambian coast, authorities say.
The craft flipped in the early hours of Thursday near Jinack village in the northern bank region and it was later found "stranded on a sandbar", the nation's defense ministry said in a statement.
96 individuals were pulled to safety and a search is continuing for other passengers who were aboard the sunken boat that was heading towards the Canary Islands of Spain.
The dangerous voyage over the the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for migrants from Africa seeking entry into the EU.
Almost 47,000 people arrived at the Canaries in the year 2024 and data indicates more than 9,000 people perished during the journey.
Search and Rescue Efforts
In the aftermath of the disaster, the navy initiated a search operation, using a number of military boats and a fishing vessel that came to assist, the defence ministry confirmed.
Authorities say a number of those who died are not from The Gambia and that their identities are still being verified.
The bodies of the seven people who died have been retrieved, and a dozen of the saved are described as being in grave health and receiving urgent medical care.
A Frequent Pathway
Gambia is a frequent corridor used by migrants trying to reach Europe, often on perilous trips over water and land.
Over the past few years, the European bloc has forged deals with multiple North African nations designed to curtailing undocumented migration.
