Scores Lost After Craft Carrying Two Hundred Migrants Capsizes in waters off The Gambia.
No fewer than seven people have perished and numerous others are lost after a vessel carrying around two hundred migrants attempting to reach European shores sank in waters near the Gambian coast, authorities say.
The craft flipped late Wednesday night in the vicinity of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was subsequently discovered "grounded on a sandbank", the country's defence ministry stated in a release.
Nearly one hundred people were pulled to safety and a hunt is ongoing for those still missing who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was en route to the Canary Islands of Spain.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African migrants trying to reach Europe.
Close to 47,000 individuals arrived at the Canary Islands in 2024 and estimates over 9,000 migrants have died during the journey.
Ongoing Mission
In the aftermath of the disaster, The Gambian Navy initiated a search-and-rescue operation, deploying several naval vessels and a fishing vessel that came to assist, the defence ministry reported.
Authorities say some of the deceased are not from The Gambia and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The bodies of the seven people who drowned were found, and 10 of those rescued are said to be in grave health and getting immediate medical attention.
An Established Corridor
Gambia is one of the routes taken by migrants attempting to enter Europe, frequently via perilous trips by sea and land.
In recent years, the European Union has established pacts with multiple North African nations with the goal of curtailing undocumented migration.