Numerous People Unaccounted For After Craft Carrying 200 Migrants Capsizes off Gambia.
At least seven individuals have died and many others remain unaccounted for after a craft carrying approximately two hundred people seeking to enter the European continent capsized in waters near Gambia, officials state.
The boat overturned on Wednesday midnight close to Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was later found "beached on a shoal", the nation's defense ministry stated in a release.
96 individuals were pulled to safety and a search is continuing for the remaining passengers who were aboard the capsized craft that was bound for the Spanish Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic Ocean has emerged as a rising pathway for African migrants attempting to get to the EU.
Nearly forty-seven thousand migrants reached the Spanish archipelago in 2024 and data indicates more than 9,000 migrants have lost their lives in the attempt.
Rescue Operation
Following the Wednesday incident, the navy initiated a search operation, deploying multiple navy ships and a commercial fishing craft that offered help, the defense officials said.
Reports indicate a number of those who died are foreign nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The deceased of the seven victims who perished at sea have been recovered, and a dozen of the saved are reported to be in grave health and undergoing emergency treatment.
An Established Corridor
This West African nation is one of the routes taken by asylum seekers trying to reach European countries, frequently via dangerous journeys by sea and land.
Over the past few years, the European Union has forged deals with several North African countries with the goal of limiting illegal migration.
