Scores Unaccounted For After Vessel Carrying Two Hundred Migrants Capsizes near the coast of The Gambia.
No fewer than seven individuals have perished and many others remain unaccounted for in the wake of a vessel carrying around two hundred people seeking to enter European shores capsized in waters near The Gambia, reports confirm.
The boat overturned on Wednesday midnight in the vicinity of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was later found "beached on a shoal", the nation's defense ministry said in a statement.
Nearly one hundred people have been saved to date and a hunt is ongoing for the remaining passengers who were aboard the shipwrecked vessel that was bound for Spain's Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African asylum seekers attempting to get to European nations.
Close to 47,000 people reached the Canaries in the year 2024 and estimates more than 9,000 people have died in the attempt.
Search and Rescue Efforts
Following the Wednesday incident, the navy initiated a search-and-rescue operation, using several naval vessels and a fishing vessel that came to assist, the military confirmed.
Officials state several of the victims are not from The Gambia and that their details are still being checked.
The bodies of the seven people who drowned have been recovered, and ten of the survivors are reported to be in serious condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
An Established Corridor
This West African nation is a common pathway utilized by migrants attempting to enter European countries, frequently via perilous trips by sea and land.
In recent years, the European Union has forged deals with several Maghreb states aimed at curtailing irregular migration.