Scores Missing Following Vessel Carrying Two Hundred Migrants Goes Down near the coast of The Gambia.
At least seven people lost their lives and a significant number are missing after a boat carrying around two hundred migrants seeking to enter the European continent capsized in waters near the Gambian coast, reports confirm.
The boat overturned late Wednesday night near the village of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was afterwards located "stranded on a sandbar", the Gambian military authorities stated in a release.
96 individuals have been rescued so far and a rescue operation continues for other passengers who were traveling on the sunken boat that was bound for the Spanish Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic Ocean has become an increasingly common route for African migrants attempting to get to the EU.
Nearly forty-seven thousand migrants made it to the Spanish archipelago in the year 2024 and estimates in excess of 9,000 migrants perished in the attempt.
Search and Rescue Efforts
Following the Wednesday incident, The Gambian Navy launched a search operation, involving several naval vessels and a fishing vessel that joined the effort, the military said.
Officials state a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The remains of the seven people who drowned were found, and a dozen of the saved are said to be in critical condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
An Established Corridor
The Gambia is a frequent corridor utilized by migrants attempting to enter Europe, often on perilous trips over water and land.
Recently, the EU has forged deals with a number of Maghreb states aimed at limiting illegal migration.
