Numerous People Missing Following Craft Transporting 200 Migrants Goes Down near the coast of the Gambian coast.
At least seven people have perished and many others remain unaccounted for following a vessel ferrying about 200 migrants seeking to enter European shores overturned in waters near the Gambian coast, reports confirm.
The vessel capsized on Wednesday midnight close to Jinack in the northern bank region and it was later found "grounded on a sandbank", the country's defence ministry stated in a release.
Nearly one hundred people have been saved to date and a search is continuing for other passengers who were aboard the capsized craft that was heading towards the Spanish Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African asylum seekers trying to reach European nations.
Nearly 47,000 individuals arrived at the Spanish archipelago in the year 2024 and figures suggest in excess of 9,000 people perished in the attempt.
Rescue Operation
In the aftermath of the disaster, The Gambian Navy initiated a search operation, using a number of military boats and a fishing vessel that joined the effort, the defence ministry reported.
Reports indicate a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The remains of the seven individuals who perished at sea have been retrieved, and 10 of those rescued are reported to be in serious condition and getting immediate medical attention.
An Established Corridor
Gambia is a common pathway utilized by asylum seekers seeking to get to the EU, frequently via hazardous voyages across ocean and terrain.
Over the past few years, the EU has forged deals with multiple North African countries with the goal of curtailing undocumented migration.
