A minimum of seven souls have died and many others are missing following a boat transporting approximately 200 migrants seeking to enter Europe capsized in waters near The Gambia, reports confirm.
The vessel capsized on Wednesday midnight near Jinack village in the North Bank Region and it was later found "beached on a shoal", the nation's defense ministry announced officially.
Nearly one hundred people have been rescued so far and a search is continuing for other passengers who were on board the capsized craft that was bound for the Canary Islands of Spain.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African migrants attempting to get to Europe.
Almost forty-seven thousand migrants arrived at the Spanish archipelago in 2024 and estimates more than 9,000 people have lost their lives trying.
Ongoing Mission
Following the Wednesday incident, The Gambian Navy began a search-and-rescue operation, deploying multiple navy ships and a commercial fishing craft that joined the effort, the defense officials reported.
Authorities say a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The bodies of the seven individuals who perished at sea have been retrieved, and 10 of those rescued are reported to be in critical condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Common Migration Route
Gambia is one of the routes used by migrants attempting to enter the EU, frequently via perilous trips by sea and land.
Over the past few years, the European bloc has reached agreements with several North African countries with the goal of reducing undocumented migration.
