Scores Lost Following Vessel Transporting 200 Migrants Capsizes near the coast of the Gambian coast.
No fewer than seven individuals lost their lives and many others remain unaccounted for in the wake of a vessel carrying around two hundred people attempting to reach European shores overturned in waters near The Gambia, officials state.
The craft flipped in the early hours of Thursday near Jinack village in the North Bank area and it was subsequently discovered "beached on a shoal", the nation's defense ministry stated in a release.
Nearly one hundred people have been rescued so far and a rescue operation continues for the remaining passengers who were on board the capsized craft that was en route to the Canary Islands of Spain.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African asylum seekers trying to reach the EU.
Nearly 47,000 people arrived at the Canary Islands in 2024 and estimates over 9,000 migrants have lost their lives during the journey.
Ongoing Mission
Following the Wednesday incident, The Gambian Navy launched a search operation, deploying multiple navy ships and a fishing vessel that offered help, the defense officials reported.
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 victims who perished at sea have been recovered, and ten of the survivors are described as being in grave health and receiving urgent medical care.
A Frequent Pathway
The Gambia is a common pathway taken by migrants attempting to enter European countries, frequently via perilous trips over water and land.
In recent years, the EU has reached agreements with several North African countries designed to curtailing illegal migration.
