Scores Missing Following Boat Carrying Two Hundred Migrants Goes Down in waters off Gambia.
At least seven people lost their lives and many others are missing after a boat ferrying about 200 migrants seeking to enter Europe sank near the shoreline of Gambia, authorities say.
The vessel capsized in the early hours of Thursday in the vicinity of Jinack village in the northern bank region and it was later found "grounded on a sandbank", the nation's defense ministry stated in a release.
96 individuals have been rescued so far and a search is continuing for the remaining passengers who were aboard the capsized craft that was en route to the Spanish Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic Ocean has become an increasingly common route for African migrants trying to reach Europe.
Close to 47,000 people arrived at the Canary Islands in the year 2024 and data indicates in excess of 9,000 migrants have died in the attempt.
Search and Rescue Efforts
In the aftermath of the disaster, the navy began a search operation, deploying a number of military boats and a commercial fishing craft that joined the effort, the military said.
Reports indicate some of the deceased are not Gambian nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The deceased of the seven individuals who perished at sea have been recovered, and ten of the survivors are reported to be in serious condition and receiving urgent medical care.
An Established Corridor
The Gambia is a common pathway used by migrants seeking to get to Europe, typically through perilous trips over water and land.
Over the past few years, the EU has established pacts with multiple North African nations designed to reducing illegal migration.
