Scores Unaccounted For Following Vessel Transporting 200 Asylum Seekers Sinks in waters off the Gambian coast.
A minimum of seven people have perished and many others remain unaccounted for after a craft transporting about 200 migrants trying to get to European shores overturned in waters near the Gambian coast, officials state.
The boat overturned late Wednesday night near the village of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was subsequently discovered "grounded on a sandbank", the Gambian military authorities announced officially.
Ninety-six people have been saved to date and a rescue operation continues for the remaining passengers who were aboard the shipwrecked vessel that was bound for the Spanish Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African asylum seekers trying to reach European nations.
Almost 47,000 people made it to the Canary Islands in 2024 and figures suggest over 9,000 people have lost their lives in the attempt.
Rescue Operation
Following the Wednesday incident, the navy launched a search-and-rescue operation, using multiple navy ships and a fishing vessel that came to assist, the defence ministry reported.
Officials state several of the victims are foreign nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The remains of the seven individuals who died have been recovered, and ten of the survivors are reported to be in serious condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Frequent Pathway
This West African nation is one of the routes taken by asylum seekers attempting to enter European countries, typically through dangerous journeys over water and land.
Recently, the EU has reached agreements with multiple Maghreb states aimed at reducing illegal migration.
