Dozens Missing Following Craft Holding Two Hundred Migrants Goes Down near the coast of The Gambia.

At least seven individuals have died and many others remain unaccounted for after a boat transporting about 200 migrants seeking to enter European shores sank near the shoreline of the Gambian coast, reports confirm.

The boat overturned on Wednesday midnight in the vicinity of the village of Jinack in the North Bank area and it was afterwards located "beached on a shoal", the nation's defense ministry said in a statement.

Nearly one hundred people have been rescued so far and a hunt is ongoing for those still missing who were traveling on the capsized craft that was en route to Spain's Canary Islands.

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

Close to 47,000 individuals made it to the Canaries in the year 2024 and data indicates over 9,000 people have lost their lives during the journey.

Rescue Operation

In the aftermath of the disaster, the navy began a search-and-rescue operation, using multiple navy ships and a fishing boat that joined the effort, the military confirmed.

Authorities say several of the victims are not from The Gambia and that their identities are still being verified.

The bodies of the seven victims who died have been retrieved, and ten of the survivors are said to be in serious condition and getting immediate medical attention.

A Common Migration Route

The Gambia is a frequent corridor utilized by migrants trying to reach Europe, typically through hazardous voyages across ocean and terrain.

Over the past few years, the EU has established pacts with several North African countries aimed at reducing illegal migration.