Dozens Lost Following Boat Carrying Two Hundred Migrants Capsizes in waters off The Gambia.
A minimum of seven souls lost their lives and many others are missing after a craft carrying around two hundred migrants attempting to reach European shores capsized off the coast of the Gambian coast, authorities say.
The vessel capsized in the early hours of Thursday in the vicinity of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was subsequently discovered "stranded on a sandbar", the nation's defense ministry said in a statement.
Nearly one hundred people were pulled to safety and a hunt is ongoing for other passengers who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was heading towards the Canary Islands of Spain.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic Ocean has emerged as a rising pathway for migrants from Africa trying to reach European nations.
Close to 47,000 people arrived at the Canary Islands in 2024 and estimates more than 9,000 migrants perished in the attempt.
Ongoing Mission
Following the Wednesday incident, Gambia's naval forces launched a rescue mission, involving a number of military boats and a fishing vessel that came to assist, the defence ministry reported.
Officials state a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The remains of the seven people who drowned have been retrieved, and a dozen of the saved are reported to be in serious condition and getting immediate medical attention.
A Frequent Pathway
This West African nation is a common pathway utilized by asylum seekers seeking to get to the EU, often on dangerous journeys by sea and land.
Over the past few years, the European bloc has reached agreements with a number of Maghreb states with the goal of reducing illegal migration.
