A minimum of seven people lost their lives and many others are missing after a vessel transporting approximately two hundred people attempting to reach the European continent capsized near the shoreline of The Gambia, officials state.
The boat overturned late Wednesday night close to Jinack village in the North Bank area and it was subsequently discovered "grounded on a sandbank", the country's defence ministry said in a statement.
Ninety-six people were pulled to safety and a search is continuing for other passengers who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was heading towards Spain's Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for migrants from Africa trying to reach European nations.
Almost forty-seven thousand migrants arrived at the Spanish archipelago in 2024 and figures suggest more than 9,000 migrants have died trying.
Rescue Operation
In the aftermath of the disaster, the navy began a search operation, involving a number of military boats and a fishing boat that offered help, the military said.
Officials state several of the victims are foreign nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The deceased of the seven victims who perished at sea were found, and 10 of those rescued are described as being in grave health and getting immediate medical attention.
A Common Migration Route
The Gambia is a frequent corridor taken by asylum seekers trying to reach Europe, often on hazardous voyages across ocean and terrain.
Recently, the EU has established pacts with several North African countries with the goal of reducing illegal migration.