No fewer than seven people lost their lives and many others are missing after a craft transporting about 200 people seeking to enter European shores sank off the coast of the Gambian coast, authorities say.
The vessel capsized on Wednesday midnight near the village of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was afterwards located "beached on a shoal", the nation's defense ministry 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 capsized craft that was bound for Spain's Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African migrants attempting to get to the EU.
Close to 47,000 people reached the Spanish archipelago in 2024 and figures suggest over 9,000 people perished trying.
Ongoing Mission
After Wednesday's accident, the navy began a search operation, using several naval vessels and a fishing vessel that came to assist, the defense officials said.
Authorities say a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The deceased of the seven individuals who perished at sea were found, and ten of the survivors are said to be in serious condition and getting immediate medical attention.
A Common Migration Route
Gambia is one of the routes used by migrants attempting to enter Europe, often on dangerous journeys over water and land.
Over the past few years, the European Union has forged deals with several North African nations with the goal of curtailing irregular migration.