Dozens Missing Following Craft Holding 200 Migrants Sinks off The Gambia.
A minimum of seven individuals have died and a significant number are lost in the wake of a boat carrying around 200 migrants trying to get to the European continent overturned off the coast of the Gambian coast, authorities say.
The vessel capsized in the early hours of Thursday near Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was afterwards located "grounded on a sandbank", the country's defence ministry stated in a release.
Nearly one hundred people were pulled to safety and a rescue operation continues for other passengers who were on board the sunken boat that was bound for the Canary Islands of Spain.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic Ocean has grown into a more frequent path for migrants from Africa seeking entry into Europe.
Almost forty-seven thousand migrants made it to the Spanish archipelago in the year 2024 and estimates over 9,000 people perished trying.
Rescue Operation
Following the Wednesday incident, The Gambian Navy launched a search-and-rescue operation, involving a number of military boats and a fishing boat that offered help, the defense officials reported.
Reports indicate a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The remains of the seven victims who perished at sea have been retrieved, and a dozen of the saved are described as being in serious condition and getting immediate medical attention.
An Established Corridor
This West African nation is one of the routes utilized by migrants trying to reach the EU, typically through dangerous journeys by sea and land.
Over the past few years, the European bloc has established pacts with multiple North African nations aimed at reducing illegal migration.
