No fewer than seven souls have died and many others remain unaccounted for in the wake of a boat transporting about 200 people attempting to reach Europe overturned in waters near The Gambia, reports confirm.
The vessel capsized late Wednesday night near the village of Jinack in the North Bank area and it was later found "stranded on a sandbar", the Gambian military authorities stated in a release.
Ninety-six people were pulled to safety and a hunt is ongoing for the remaining passengers who were aboard the shipwrecked vessel that was heading towards the Canary Islands of Spain.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African asylum seekers attempting to get to European nations.
Almost 47,000 individuals arrived at the Spanish archipelago in the year 2024 and estimates more than 9,000 migrants have lost their lives in the attempt.
Ongoing Mission
In the aftermath of the disaster, Gambia's naval forces began a search-and-rescue operation, involving a number of military boats and a commercial fishing craft that joined the effort, the defense officials reported.
Reports indicate several of the victims are not Gambian nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The remains of the seven victims who perished at sea were found, and a dozen of the saved are reported to be in critical condition and receiving urgent medical care.
An Established Corridor
This West African nation is a frequent corridor taken by asylum seekers seeking to get to Europe, frequently via hazardous voyages across ocean and terrain.
Recently, the European bloc has reached agreements with several Maghreb states with the goal of curtailing undocumented migration.
