Scores Lost After Boat Holding 200 Asylum Seekers Capsizes near the coast of Gambia.
At least seven souls have perished and a significant number remain unaccounted for in the wake of a vessel carrying about 200 people attempting to reach European shores overturned off the coast of The Gambia, officials state.
The craft flipped on Wednesday midnight in the vicinity of the village of Jinack in the North Bank area and it was later found "stranded on a sandbar", the country's defence ministry stated in a release.
96 individuals have been saved to date and a search is continuing for those still missing who were on board the sunken boat that was en route to the Canary Islands of Spain.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic Ocean has become an increasingly common route for African asylum seekers seeking entry into Europe.
Almost 47,000 individuals arrived at the Canaries in the year 2024 and data indicates more than 9,000 migrants have lost their lives trying.
Search and Rescue Efforts
After Wednesday's accident, the navy initiated a search operation, using a number of military boats and a fishing vessel that came to assist, the military reported.
Reports indicate several of the victims are foreign nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The bodies of the seven individuals who drowned were found, and 10 of those rescued are reported to be in grave health and receiving urgent medical care.
A Common Migration Route
The Gambia is a common pathway used by migrants attempting to enter Europe, often on dangerous journeys by sea and land.
Over the past few years, the European bloc has forged deals with multiple North African nations designed to limiting illegal migration.
