Dozens Unaccounted For After Craft Carrying Two Hundred Migrants Goes Down in waters off the Gambian coast.
A minimum of seven people have perished and numerous others remain unaccounted for after a vessel transporting about 200 migrants seeking to enter Europe capsized in waters near Gambia, reports confirm.
The vessel capsized in the early hours of Thursday near the village of Jinack in the North Bank area and it was afterwards located "grounded on a sandbank", the Gambian military authorities announced officially.
96 individuals have been rescued so far and a rescue operation continues for those still missing who were aboard the sunken boat that was heading towards the Canary Islands of Spain.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic Ocean has become an increasingly common route for African asylum seekers trying to reach the EU.
Close to 47,000 people arrived at the Spanish archipelago in 2024 and estimates in excess of 9,000 people have lost their lives trying.
Rescue Operation
In the aftermath of the disaster, Gambia's naval forces launched a search-and-rescue operation, using a number of military boats and a fishing boat that offered help, the defense officials reported.
Authorities say a number of those who died are foreign nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The remains of the seven victims who perished at sea were found, and ten of the survivors are described as being in serious condition and receiving urgent medical care.
An Established Corridor
This West African nation is a frequent corridor utilized by migrants seeking to get to European countries, typically through hazardous voyages across ocean and terrain.
In recent years, the EU has forged deals with a number of North African nations designed to curtailing irregular migration.
