At least seven individuals have perished and many others are missing after a vessel ferrying around 200 people attempting to reach Europe sank off the coast of Gambia, officials state.
The vessel capsized late Wednesday night near Jinack in the North Bank area and it was later found "grounded on a sandbank", the nation's defense ministry said in a statement.
Nearly one hundred people have been rescued so far and a hunt is ongoing for those still missing who were on board the shipwrecked vessel that was bound for Spain's Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for migrants from Africa seeking entry into European nations.
Nearly 47,000 people made it to the Spanish archipelago in the year 2024 and estimates in excess of nine thousand individuals perished during the journey.
Ongoing Mission
Following the Wednesday incident, Gambia's naval forces launched a search operation, using multiple navy ships and a commercial fishing craft that joined the effort, the defense officials confirmed.
Officials state several of the victims are foreign nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
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.
An Established Corridor
Gambia is one of the routes taken by migrants seeking to get to Europe, typically through dangerous journeys across ocean and terrain.
Recently, the European Union has forged deals with several North African nations aimed at reducing undocumented migration.
