Dozens Lost After Boat Carrying Two Hundred Migrants Capsizes near the coast of The Gambia.
A minimum of seven souls lost their lives and many others are missing after a craft ferrying about 200 migrants trying to get to European shores sank off the coast of The Gambia, authorities say.
The vessel capsized on Wednesday midnight close to the village of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was later found "grounded on a sandbank", the Gambian military authorities said in a statement.
Ninety-six people were pulled to safety and a search is continuing for other passengers who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was heading towards the Canary Islands of Spain.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African migrants attempting to get to Europe.
Nearly 47,000 people reached the Canary Islands in 2024 and data indicates more than 9,000 people perished in the attempt.
Rescue Operation
Following the Wednesday incident, Gambia's naval forces initiated a rescue mission, involving a number of military boats and a fishing vessel that offered help, the defence ministry said.
Officials state several of the victims are not from The Gambia and that their details are still being checked.
The deceased of the seven victims who died were found, and ten of the survivors are described as being in serious condition and receiving urgent medical care.
An Established Corridor
Gambia is a common pathway taken by asylum seekers seeking to get to the EU, frequently via hazardous voyages over water and land.
Over the past few years, the EU has established pacts with several North African countries aimed at curtailing irregular migration.
