Scores Unaccounted For Following Vessel Transporting Two Hundred Migrants Goes Down off the Gambian coast.
A minimum of seven souls have died and a significant number remain unaccounted for in the wake of a boat carrying around two hundred migrants attempting to reach European shores sank near the shoreline of The Gambia, officials state.
The vessel capsized late Wednesday night close to Jinack in the North Bank area and it was afterwards located "beached on a shoal", the nation's defense ministry announced officially.
96 individuals have been saved to date and a search is continuing for those still missing who were traveling on the capsized craft that was bound for the Spanish Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic Ocean has become an increasingly common route for African migrants trying to reach Europe.
Close to 47,000 individuals arrived at the Spanish archipelago in 2024 and estimates over nine thousand individuals have lost their lives during the journey.
Rescue Operation
In the aftermath of the disaster, the navy launched a search-and-rescue operation, involving several naval vessels and a commercial fishing craft that came to assist, the military reported.
Reports indicate several of the victims are not from The Gambia and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The remains of the seven victims who perished at sea were found, and ten of the survivors are said to be in serious condition and getting immediate medical attention.
An Established Corridor
The Gambia is a common pathway taken by migrants attempting to enter Europe, often on hazardous voyages over water and land.
Recently, the European bloc has reached agreements with several North African countries with the goal of reducing illegal migration.
