Scores Lost Following Vessel Transporting Two Hundred Migrants Sinks near the coast of the Gambian coast.

No fewer than seven people have died and a significant number remain unaccounted for following a vessel carrying approximately two hundred migrants trying to get to European shores capsized near the shoreline of Gambia, reports confirm.

The vessel capsized on Wednesday midnight close to Jinack village in the northern bank region and it was subsequently discovered "beached on a shoal", the Gambian military authorities announced officially.

96 individuals have been saved to date and a hunt is ongoing for those still missing who were traveling on the capsized craft that was bound for the Spanish Canary Islands.

The perilous journey over the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African migrants trying to reach European nations.

Nearly 47,000 people reached the Canaries in the year 2024 and data indicates over 9,000 people have lost their lives during the journey.

Ongoing Mission

Following the Wednesday incident, Gambia's naval forces began a search-and-rescue operation, involving several naval vessels and a commercial fishing craft that offered help, the defence ministry said.

Authorities say several of the victims are not from The Gambia and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.

The deceased of the seven victims who perished at sea have been recovered, and a dozen of the saved are reported to be in serious condition and receiving urgent medical care.

A Common Migration Route

The Gambia is one of the routes used by asylum seekers seeking to get to European countries, frequently via dangerous journeys across ocean and terrain.

In recent years, the European Union has reached agreements with a number of North African countries with the goal of curtailing illegal migration.