Scores Lost Following Boat Transporting 200 Asylum Seekers Sinks in waters off The Gambia.
At least seven individuals have perished and numerous others remain unaccounted for after a boat carrying around 200 migrants trying to get to Europe overturned in waters near Gambia, officials state.
The boat overturned late Wednesday night near the village of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was subsequently discovered "beached on a shoal", the country's defence ministry announced officially.
Nearly one hundred people were pulled to safety and a hunt is ongoing for other passengers who were on board the sunken boat that was bound for the Canary Islands of Spain.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic Ocean has grown into a more frequent path for African asylum seekers seeking entry into Europe.
Close to 47,000 people arrived at the Canaries in the year 2024 and figures suggest more than 9,000 migrants have lost their lives in the attempt.
Ongoing Mission
After Wednesday's accident, the navy initiated a search-and-rescue operation, involving multiple navy ships and a fishing boat that joined the effort, the military said.
Reports indicate several of the victims are foreign nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The bodies of the seven individuals who drowned have been retrieved, and ten of the survivors are said to be in serious condition and receiving urgent medical care.
A Common Migration Route
The Gambia is one of the routes used by migrants trying to reach the EU, often on dangerous journeys across ocean and terrain.
Recently, the EU has established pacts with multiple North African countries designed to limiting undocumented migration.
