Scores Missing After Boat Holding Two Hundred Migrants Capsizes near the coast of The Gambia.
At least seven souls have died and a significant number are missing after a boat carrying about 200 migrants trying to get to the European continent capsized in waters near Gambia, authorities say.
The boat overturned late Wednesday night close to the village of Jinack in the North Bank area and it was afterwards located "stranded on a sandbar", the Gambian military authorities announced officially.
Nearly one hundred people have been saved to date and a rescue operation continues for those still missing who were aboard the capsized craft that was bound for Spain's Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for migrants from Africa attempting to get to the EU.
Almost 47,000 people arrived at the Canary Islands in the year 2024 and figures suggest more than nine thousand individuals have lost their lives trying.
Ongoing Mission
Following the Wednesday incident, The Gambian Navy began a rescue mission, involving a number of military boats and a fishing vessel that offered help, the defence ministry reported.
Reports indicate several of the victims are not Gambian nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The deceased of the seven victims who perished at sea have been retrieved, and 10 of those rescued are reported to be in serious condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Frequent Pathway
Gambia is one of the routes utilized by migrants trying to reach Europe, often on perilous trips by sea and land.
Over the past few years, the European bloc has established pacts with a number of Maghreb states designed to reducing undocumented migration.
