Dozens Lost After Boat Carrying Two Hundred Migrants Capsizes in waters off The Gambia.
No fewer than seven people lost their lives and a significant number are lost following a vessel ferrying around two hundred migrants attempting to reach Europe capsized in waters near the Gambian coast, reports confirm.
The vessel capsized in the early hours of Thursday close to Jinack in the northern bank region and it was subsequently discovered "grounded on a sandbank", the Gambian military authorities announced officially.
96 individuals were pulled to safety and a search is continuing for those still missing who were aboard the shipwrecked vessel that was en route to the Canary Islands of Spain.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic Ocean has grown into a more frequent path for African asylum seekers seeking entry into European nations.
Close to 47,000 individuals reached the Canary Islands in 2024 and figures suggest in excess of 9,000 migrants have lost their lives trying.
Search and Rescue Efforts
Following the Wednesday incident, The Gambian Navy launched a search operation, deploying multiple navy ships and a fishing boat that offered help, the defense officials confirmed.
Officials state a number of those who died are foreign nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The remains of the seven victims who died have been recovered, and 10 of those rescued are said to be in critical condition and getting immediate medical attention.
An Established Corridor
This West African nation is one of the routes used by migrants seeking to get to European countries, typically through dangerous journeys by sea and land.
Over the past few years, the European bloc has forged deals with multiple Maghreb states aimed at reducing undocumented migration.
