Numerous People Lost Following Boat Holding 200 Migrants Goes Down near the coast of The Gambia.
At least seven souls have died and many others are missing after a vessel carrying about two hundred people attempting to reach Europe overturned off the coast of the Gambian coast, authorities say.
The boat overturned on Wednesday midnight close to the village of Jinack in the North Bank area and it was later found "stranded on a sandbar", the country's defence ministry said in a statement.
Nearly one hundred people have been rescued so far and a rescue operation continues for the remaining passengers who were traveling on the sunken boat that was en route to Spain's Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African asylum seekers trying to reach Europe.
Nearly 47,000 individuals made it to the Canaries in the year 2024 and data indicates more than 9,000 migrants perished in the attempt.
Ongoing Mission
Following the Wednesday incident, The Gambian Navy began a search-and-rescue operation, involving several naval vessels and a fishing vessel that offered help, the military said.
Reports indicate a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The deceased of the seven individuals who died have been retrieved, and 10 of those rescued are reported to be in grave health and receiving urgent medical care.
A Frequent Pathway
Gambia is a frequent corridor utilized by asylum seekers seeking to get to the EU, frequently via perilous trips across ocean and terrain.
Over the past few years, the European Union has forged deals with multiple North African countries with the goal of curtailing undocumented migration.
