Dozens Lost Following Vessel Carrying Two Hundred Migrants Goes Down off the Gambian coast.
No fewer than seven souls lost their lives and numerous others remain unaccounted for in the wake of a vessel transporting about 200 people seeking to enter the European continent sank near the shoreline of The Gambia, officials state.
The boat overturned late Wednesday night close to Jinack village in the North Bank Region and it was later found "stranded on a sandbar", the nation's defense ministry stated in a release.
Ninety-six people have been saved to date and a search is continuing for those still missing who were on board the sunken boat that was en route to Spain's Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for migrants from Africa seeking entry into the EU.
Nearly 47,000 individuals reached the Canaries in 2024 and data indicates in excess of 9,000 migrants have lost their lives trying.
Rescue Operation
After Wednesday's accident, Gambia's naval forces began a rescue mission, using multiple navy ships and a fishing boat that came to assist, the defense officials said.
Reports indicate some of the deceased are not from The Gambia and that their details are still being checked.
The remains of the seven people who perished at sea have been retrieved, and 10 of those rescued are reported to be in serious condition and receiving urgent medical care.
A Frequent Pathway
Gambia is one of the routes used by migrants seeking to get to European countries, often on perilous trips by sea and land.
In recent years, the European bloc has established pacts with multiple North African nations designed to curtailing illegal migration.
