Dozens Lost Following Vessel Carrying Two Hundred Migrants Capsizes near the coast of The Gambia.
At least seven people lost their lives and a significant number are missing in the wake of a boat ferrying around two hundred migrants trying to get to European shores capsized near the shoreline of Gambia, authorities say.
The vessel capsized late Wednesday night near Jinack village in the North Bank area and it was subsequently discovered "stranded on a sandbar", the country's defence ministry stated in a release.
Ninety-six people were pulled to safety and a rescue operation continues for the remaining passengers who were aboard the capsized craft that was en route to the Canary Islands of Spain.
The dangerous voyage over the the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African asylum seekers seeking entry into the EU.
Nearly forty-seven thousand migrants arrived at the Canaries in 2024 and data indicates more than nine thousand individuals have died during the journey.
Search and Rescue Efforts
In the aftermath of the disaster, the navy began a rescue mission, involving multiple navy ships and a fishing vessel that came to assist, the military said.
Reports indicate a number of those who died are not from The Gambia and that their identities are still being verified.
The bodies of the seven victims who perished at sea have been recovered, and a dozen of the saved are said to be in grave health and receiving urgent medical care.
An Established Corridor
The Gambia is a common pathway utilized by asylum seekers trying to reach European countries, frequently via hazardous voyages over water and land.
Recently, the European Union has established pacts with a number of North African countries designed to reducing illegal migration.
