Numerous People Unaccounted For After Craft Carrying 200 Migrants Sinks in waters off Gambia.
At least seven souls have died and numerous others are missing following a boat transporting around 200 migrants attempting to reach the European continent capsized in waters near the Gambian coast, authorities say.
The boat overturned late Wednesday night near Jinack village in the northern bank region and it was afterwards located "grounded on a sandbank", the nation's defense ministry said in a statement.
96 individuals have been saved to date and a hunt is ongoing for those still missing who were on board the shipwrecked vessel that was bound for Spain's Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African migrants trying to reach the EU.
Nearly 47,000 people made it to the Spanish archipelago in 2024 and data indicates in excess of nine thousand individuals perished trying.
Search and Rescue Efforts
After Wednesday's accident, Gambia's naval forces launched a search operation, using several naval vessels and a fishing boat that offered help, the defence ministry said.
Reports indicate some of the deceased are foreign nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The deceased of the seven people who died have been retrieved, and a dozen of the saved are reported to be in grave health and getting immediate medical attention.
An Established Corridor
Gambia is a frequent corridor used by asylum seekers seeking to get to Europe, typically through hazardous voyages by sea and land.
Recently, the European bloc has forged deals with several North African countries with the goal of limiting undocumented migration.
