Dozens Lost After Vessel Transporting 200 Migrants Goes Down off the Gambian coast.
No fewer than seven souls lost their lives and many others are lost after a vessel transporting about 200 migrants seeking to enter Europe overturned in waters near the Gambian coast, reports confirm.
The vessel capsized late Wednesday night near Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was afterwards located "beached on a shoal", the nation's defense ministry said in a statement.
96 individuals have been saved to date and a hunt is ongoing for the remaining passengers who were aboard the capsized craft that was bound for Spain's Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for migrants from Africa trying to reach Europe.
Almost 47,000 people reached the Canaries in the year 2024 and figures suggest more than 9,000 migrants have died during the journey.
Search and Rescue Efforts
After Wednesday's accident, Gambia's naval forces began a search-and-rescue operation, deploying a number of military boats and a commercial fishing craft that offered help, the defense officials reported.
Officials state several of the victims are not from The Gambia and that their identities are still being verified.
The deceased of the seven individuals who died were found, and a dozen of the saved are described as being in critical condition and getting immediate medical attention.
A Common Migration Route
Gambia is one of the routes used by migrants seeking to get to the EU, often on dangerous journeys over water and land.
Recently, the European bloc has reached agreements with multiple North African countries aimed at reducing irregular migration.
