Numerous People Lost After Boat Holding 200 Migrants Goes Down near the coast of the Gambian coast.
No fewer than seven souls have died and numerous others are missing after a craft transporting approximately two hundred migrants trying to get to European shores capsized in waters near Gambia, authorities say.
The boat overturned late Wednesday night in the vicinity of Jinack in the North Bank area and it was later found "beached on a shoal", the country's defence ministry announced officially.
96 individuals were pulled to safety and a hunt is ongoing for other passengers who were aboard the shipwrecked vessel that was bound for the Canary Islands of Spain.
The hazardous trip over the the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African migrants attempting to get to European nations.
Almost forty-seven thousand migrants arrived at the Canary Islands in 2024 and figures suggest over nine thousand individuals have died during the journey.
Search and Rescue Efforts
In the aftermath of the disaster, the navy began a search operation, deploying several naval vessels and a commercial fishing craft that came to assist, the defence ministry reported.
Authorities say several of the victims are foreign nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The remains of the seven people who died have been retrieved, and ten of the survivors are said to be in serious condition and getting immediate medical attention.
A Frequent Pathway
Gambia is a frequent corridor utilized by migrants seeking to get to Europe, typically through dangerous journeys over water and land.
Over the past few years, the European bloc has forged deals with multiple North African nations aimed at limiting irregular migration.