Dozens Unaccounted For After Vessel Carrying 200 Migrants Goes Down in waters off The Gambia.
At least seven people have died and numerous others are lost after a craft transporting around 200 migrants seeking to enter Europe overturned in waters near The Gambia, authorities say.
The boat overturned late Wednesday night close to the village of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was afterwards located "beached on a shoal", the country's defence ministry stated in a release.
Ninety-six people have been rescued so far and a hunt is ongoing for other passengers who were traveling on the capsized craft that was heading towards Spain's Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic Ocean has become an increasingly common route for migrants from Africa attempting to get to the EU.
Nearly 47,000 people made it to the Spanish archipelago in 2024 and estimates more than 9,000 migrants perished in the attempt.
Ongoing Mission
In the aftermath of the disaster, Gambia's naval forces began a search operation, deploying multiple navy ships and a commercial fishing craft that offered help, the defence ministry said.
Authorities say some of the deceased are not Gambian nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The deceased of the seven victims who perished at sea were found, and 10 of those rescued are reported to be in serious condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Frequent Pathway
The Gambia is a frequent corridor taken by migrants seeking to get to Europe, frequently via dangerous journeys across ocean and terrain.
Over the past few years, the EU has forged deals with several North African nations designed to limiting undocumented migration.