Scores Missing Following Vessel Holding 200 Migrants Sinks near the coast of The Gambia.
At least seven souls have died and numerous others remain unaccounted for following a craft carrying approximately 200 people seeking to enter the European continent overturned off the coast of The Gambia, officials state.
The vessel capsized on Wednesday midnight in the vicinity of Jinack village in the North Bank area and it was subsequently discovered "stranded on a sandbar", the nation's defense ministry announced officially.
Ninety-six people were pulled to safety and a rescue operation continues for the remaining passengers who were on board the capsized craft that was en route to the Canary Islands of Spain.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African asylum seekers trying to reach Europe.
Nearly 47,000 individuals reached the Spanish archipelago in 2024 and figures suggest over 9,000 migrants have died during the journey.
Ongoing Mission
In the aftermath of the disaster, Gambia's naval forces launched a search-and-rescue operation, using multiple navy ships and a fishing boat that offered help, the defense officials reported.
Officials state some of the deceased are not Gambian nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The remains of the seven individuals who perished at sea were found, and a dozen of the saved are reported to be in serious condition and receiving urgent medical care.
A Common Migration Route
The Gambia is one of the routes taken by asylum seekers trying to reach Europe, typically through hazardous voyages across ocean and terrain.
Over the past few years, the European bloc has reached agreements with several North African nations designed to reducing illegal migration.
