Numerous People Lost Following Vessel Holding 200 Migrants Goes Down near the coast of The Gambia.
No fewer than seven people have perished and a significant number are lost after a vessel transporting approximately 200 migrants seeking to enter European shores capsized in waters near Gambia, reports confirm.
The craft flipped on Wednesday midnight close to Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was afterwards located "beached on a shoal", the Gambian military authorities stated in a release.
96 individuals have been rescued so far and a search is continuing for the remaining passengers who were on board the capsized craft that was en route to the Canary Islands of Spain.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic Ocean has grown into a more frequent path for African asylum seekers trying to reach Europe.
Almost 47,000 individuals arrived at the Canary Islands in 2024 and data indicates more than 9,000 migrants have died trying.
Search and Rescue Efforts
In the aftermath of the disaster, The Gambian Navy initiated a search operation, deploying multiple navy ships and a commercial fishing craft 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 deceased of the seven people who died have been retrieved, and a dozen of the saved are reported to be in grave health and receiving urgent medical care.
A Common Migration Route
Gambia is one of the routes taken by migrants attempting to enter the EU, typically through hazardous voyages over water and land.
Over the past few years, the EU has forged deals with several North African nations aimed at limiting undocumented migration.
