Numerous People Unaccounted For Following Vessel Transporting Two Hundred Migrants Capsizes near the coast of Gambia.
At least seven individuals lost their lives and numerous others are lost following a boat transporting about two hundred people attempting to reach the European continent overturned near the shoreline of Gambia, reports confirm.
The boat overturned on Wednesday midnight close to Jinack in the North Bank area and it was afterwards located "grounded on a sandbank", the Gambian military authorities stated in a release.
Ninety-six people were pulled to safety and a hunt is ongoing for other passengers who were traveling on the sunken boat that was en route to the Canary Islands of Spain.
The hazardous trip over the the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African asylum seekers attempting to get to Europe.
Almost 47,000 individuals made it to the Canaries in 2024 and data indicates in excess of 9,000 migrants perished in the attempt.
Ongoing Mission
After Wednesday's accident, the navy began a rescue mission, involving multiple navy ships and a fishing boat that joined the effort, the defense officials said.
Reports indicate a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The remains of the seven individuals who perished at sea have been recovered, and 10 of those rescued are reported to be in critical condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
An Established Corridor
The Gambia is one of the routes taken by asylum seekers trying to reach Europe, typically through dangerous journeys across ocean and terrain.
Recently, the European bloc has forged deals with several North African countries aimed at reducing illegal migration.
