Dozens Lost Following Vessel Carrying Two Hundred Migrants Capsizes near the coast of the Gambian coast.
A minimum of seven people have died and numerous others are missing after a craft transporting approximately two hundred migrants trying to get to the European continent overturned in waters near the Gambian coast, reports confirm.
The craft flipped in the early hours of Thursday near Jinack in the North Bank area and it was subsequently discovered "stranded on a sandbar", 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 traveling on the sunken boat that was heading towards the Spanish Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African migrants attempting to get to European nations.
Almost forty-seven thousand migrants reached the Canaries in 2024 and figures suggest over 9,000 migrants have died during the journey.
Search and Rescue Efforts
In the aftermath of the disaster, Gambia's naval forces initiated a search-and-rescue operation, involving a number of military boats and a fishing vessel that came to assist, the military confirmed.
Authorities say some of the deceased are not Gambian nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The remains of the seven victims who perished at sea were found, and ten of the survivors are reported to be in critical condition and getting immediate medical attention.
An Established Corridor
The Gambia is a frequent corridor taken by migrants seeking to get to European countries, frequently via perilous trips by sea and land.
Over the past few years, the European bloc has reached agreements with several North African nations aimed at limiting illegal migration.
