Numerous People Unaccounted For Following Vessel Carrying Two Hundred Migrants Capsizes off The Gambia.
No fewer than seven individuals lost their lives and a significant number are missing following a craft ferrying about two hundred migrants seeking to enter Europe overturned in waters near the Gambian coast, officials state.
The boat overturned in the early hours of Thursday in the vicinity of Jinack village in the North Bank area and it was later found "beached on a shoal", the Gambian military authorities stated in a release.
Nearly one hundred people have been saved to date and a search is continuing for the remaining passengers who were aboard the sunken boat that was bound for the Canary Islands of Spain.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African migrants trying to reach Europe.
Almost 47,000 people reached the Canaries in 2024 and estimates in excess of 9,000 migrants have died during the journey.
Search and Rescue Efforts
Following the Wednesday incident, the navy launched a rescue mission, deploying several naval vessels and a fishing vessel that came to assist, the defense officials reported.
Reports indicate several of the victims are foreign nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The remains of the seven victims who drowned have been recovered, and ten of the survivors are reported to be in serious condition and getting immediate medical attention.
An Established Corridor
The Gambia is a frequent corridor utilized by migrants seeking to get to Europe, often on perilous trips over water and land.
Recently, the European bloc has established pacts with multiple North African nations with the goal of limiting illegal migration.
