Scores Unaccounted For Following Vessel Carrying 200 Migrants Capsizes in waters off the Gambian coast.
At least seven people have died and a significant number remain unaccounted for after a vessel transporting about 200 people attempting to reach European shores sank in waters near The Gambia, officials state.
The vessel capsized late Wednesday night in the vicinity of Jinack village in the northern bank region and it was later found "stranded on a sandbar", the Gambian military authorities stated in a release.
Ninety-six people were pulled to safety and a search is continuing for the remaining passengers who were aboard the shipwrecked vessel that was bound for Spain's Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for migrants from Africa trying to reach the EU.
Nearly 47,000 individuals reached the Canary Islands in 2024 and figures suggest in excess of nine thousand individuals have lost their lives during the journey.
Search and Rescue Efforts
After Wednesday's accident, The Gambian Navy initiated a rescue mission, deploying multiple navy ships and a fishing boat that offered help, the military reported.
Officials state some of the deceased are not from The Gambia and that their details are still being checked.
The bodies of the seven people who perished at sea have been recovered, and a dozen of the saved are reported to be in serious condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Frequent Pathway
Gambia is one of the routes taken by migrants attempting to enter European countries, frequently via perilous trips by sea and land.
Over the past few years, the European bloc has forged deals with a number of Maghreb states aimed at curtailing illegal migration.
