Dozens Missing After Craft Holding 200 Asylum Seekers Sinks off The Gambia.
At least seven individuals have died and numerous others remain unaccounted for in the wake of a craft transporting about 200 migrants seeking to enter European shores overturned near the shoreline of Gambia, officials state.
The boat overturned late Wednesday night close to Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was subsequently discovered "beached on a shoal", the nation's defense ministry stated in a release.
Ninety-six people have been rescued so far and a search is continuing for other passengers who were on board the sunken boat that was en route to Spain's Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African asylum seekers seeking entry into the EU.
Almost 47,000 individuals arrived at the Canaries in the year 2024 and figures suggest more than 9,000 people perished trying.
Rescue Operation
After Wednesday's accident, the navy initiated a search operation, deploying a number of military boats and a fishing boat that came to assist, the defence ministry said.
Authorities say several of the victims are not Gambian nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The bodies of the seven victims who died have been recovered, and 10 of those rescued are said to be in grave health and receiving urgent medical care.
A Frequent Pathway
This West African nation is a common pathway used by migrants trying to reach Europe, typically through dangerous journeys over water and land.
In recent years, the European bloc has established pacts with a number of Maghreb states aimed at reducing irregular migration.
