Numerous People Unaccounted For After Craft Holding 200 Migrants Goes Down in waters off the Gambian coast.
No fewer than seven souls have perished and a significant number remain unaccounted for in the wake of a boat transporting approximately two hundred migrants attempting to reach European shores capsized off the coast of The Gambia, reports confirm.
The boat overturned late Wednesday night close to Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was afterwards located "beached on a shoal", the nation's defense ministry stated in a release.
96 individuals were pulled to safety and a hunt is ongoing for those still missing who were aboard the shipwrecked vessel that was en route to the Spanish Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic Ocean has emerged as a rising pathway for African asylum seekers trying to reach European nations.
Close to 47,000 individuals made it to the Canaries in the year 2024 and data indicates more than 9,000 people perished during the journey.
Ongoing Mission
After Wednesday's accident, The Gambian Navy launched a search-and-rescue operation, using several naval vessels and a fishing boat 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 recovered, and 10 of those rescued are reported to be in serious condition and getting immediate medical attention.
A Common Migration Route
This West African nation is a common pathway utilized by asylum seekers attempting to enter European countries, typically through perilous trips over water and land.
Recently, the European bloc has established pacts with a number of North African nations with the goal of reducing illegal migration.
