Numerous People Lost Following Vessel Transporting Two Hundred Migrants Goes Down near the coast of the Gambian coast.
At least seven souls have perished and many others remain unaccounted for in the wake of a craft carrying approximately 200 migrants trying to get to the European continent capsized near the shoreline of the Gambian coast, officials state.
The vessel capsized in the early hours of Thursday in the vicinity of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was afterwards located "grounded on a sandbank", the Gambian military authorities announced officially.
Ninety-six people have been saved to date and a hunt is ongoing for other passengers who were traveling on the sunken boat that was en route to the Canary Islands of Spain.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic Ocean has emerged as a rising pathway for African asylum seekers trying to reach the EU.
Almost 47,000 people reached the Canaries in 2024 and estimates in excess of nine thousand individuals have died in the attempt.
Rescue Operation
Following the Wednesday incident, Gambia's naval forces began a search operation, using a number of military boats and a commercial fishing craft that joined the effort, the defense officials confirmed.
Authorities say a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The bodies of the seven individuals who perished at sea have been recovered, and a dozen of the saved are reported to be in grave health and getting immediate medical attention.
A Frequent Pathway
Gambia is a frequent corridor used by migrants trying to reach European countries, typically through hazardous voyages by sea and land.
Over the past few years, the European Union has forged deals with several North African countries designed to limiting undocumented migration.
