Scores Lost After Boat Holding 200 Migrants Capsizes off The Gambia.
At least seven individuals have died and many others are missing in the wake of a boat ferrying around 200 migrants trying to get to European shores sank near the shoreline of The Gambia, reports confirm.
The boat overturned late Wednesday night near Jinack village in the northern bank region and it was later found "beached on a shoal", the country's defence ministry stated in a release.
96 individuals have been rescued so far and a hunt is ongoing for other passengers who were aboard the shipwrecked vessel that was en route to Spain's Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic Ocean has become an increasingly common route for migrants from Africa trying to reach European nations.
Nearly forty-seven thousand migrants made it to the Canaries in 2024 and estimates more than nine thousand individuals perished in the attempt.
Ongoing Mission
Following the Wednesday incident, the navy initiated a rescue mission, using several naval vessels and a fishing boat that joined the effort, the military said.
Officials state several of the victims are foreign nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The bodies of the seven victims who died have been retrieved, and ten of the survivors are said to be in critical condition and getting immediate medical attention.
A Common Migration Route
The Gambia is one of the routes utilized by migrants attempting to enter European countries, typically through hazardous voyages by sea and land.
Over the past few years, the EU has established pacts with multiple North African countries aimed at reducing undocumented migration.
