Dozens Missing After Craft Carrying 200 Migrants Sinks off The Gambia.
A minimum of seven souls lost their lives and a significant number are missing after a craft ferrying approximately 200 people attempting to reach Europe overturned in waters near the Gambian coast, officials state.
The craft flipped in the early hours of Thursday in the vicinity of the village of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was subsequently discovered "beached on a shoal", the nation's defense ministry said in a statement.
Nearly one hundred people have been saved to date and a hunt is ongoing for those still missing who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was heading towards Spain's Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic Ocean has become an increasingly common route for African migrants trying to reach the EU.
Nearly forty-seven thousand migrants made it to the Spanish archipelago in 2024 and data indicates over 9,000 migrants have lost their lives during the journey.
Ongoing Mission
In the aftermath of the disaster, the navy began a search operation, involving multiple navy ships and a fishing boat that offered help, the military confirmed.
Officials state several of the victims are not Gambian nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The deceased of the seven victims who drowned have been recovered, and 10 of those rescued are reported to be in serious condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Frequent Pathway
This West African nation is a common pathway utilized by migrants trying to reach European countries, frequently via dangerous journeys across ocean and terrain.
Recently, the European bloc has reached agreements with multiple North African nations with the goal of limiting undocumented migration.
