Dozens Unaccounted For After Boat Transporting Two Hundred Migrants Capsizes in waters off the Gambian coast.
At least seven souls have perished and numerous others are lost after a vessel ferrying about 200 people attempting to reach Europe overturned off the coast of The Gambia, officials state.
The craft flipped on Wednesday midnight close to the village of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was subsequently discovered "grounded on a sandbank", the nation's defense ministry stated in a release.
Ninety-six people have been saved to date and a search is continuing for those still missing who were on board the capsized craft that was en route to the Spanish Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for migrants from Africa seeking entry into European nations.
Almost 47,000 individuals made it to the Canaries in 2024 and data indicates over nine thousand individuals perished during the journey.
Search and Rescue Efforts
In the aftermath of the disaster, the navy initiated a rescue mission, deploying several naval vessels and a fishing boat that came to assist, the defence ministry confirmed.
Officials state some of the deceased are foreign nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The remains of the seven people who died have been retrieved, and ten of the survivors are described as being in grave health and getting immediate medical attention.
An Established Corridor
The Gambia is a frequent corridor used by asylum seekers seeking to get to the EU, frequently via perilous trips over water and land.
Recently, the European bloc has reached agreements with multiple North African countries designed to reducing illegal migration.
