Dozens Unaccounted For Following Boat Carrying 200 Migrants Capsizes near the coast of Gambia.
At least seven souls have died and many others are missing after a boat transporting approximately two hundred migrants seeking to enter Europe capsized in waters near The Gambia, reports confirm.
The vessel capsized in the early hours of Thursday close to Jinack in the North Bank area and it was afterwards located "beached on a shoal", the nation's defense ministry announced officially.
96 individuals have been saved to date and a rescue operation continues for other passengers who were aboard the capsized craft that was en route to the Spanish Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic Ocean has grown into a more frequent path for African migrants attempting to get to European nations.
Almost 47,000 people reached the Canaries in 2024 and data indicates more than 9,000 people have lost their lives during the journey.
Search and Rescue Efforts
After Wednesday's accident, Gambia's naval forces initiated a rescue mission, deploying a number of military boats and a fishing vessel that came to assist, the defence ministry said.
Authorities say a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The deceased of the seven victims who perished at sea have been retrieved, and a dozen of the saved are said to be in grave health and getting immediate medical attention.
An Established Corridor
Gambia is one of the routes taken by asylum seekers trying to reach the EU, typically through hazardous voyages across ocean and terrain.
Over the past few years, the EU has established pacts with multiple North African countries aimed at curtailing irregular migration.
