Scores Lost After Vessel Carrying 200 Migrants Goes Down near the coast of The Gambia.

At least seven souls have died and numerous others are lost following a boat ferrying about 200 people trying to get to European shores overturned off the coast of the Gambian coast, officials state.

The craft flipped on Wednesday midnight close to the village of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was subsequently discovered "beached on a shoal", the country's defence ministry stated in a release.

Ninety-six people have been rescued so far and a hunt is ongoing for other passengers who were on board the shipwrecked vessel that was heading towards Spain's Canary Islands.

The hazardous trip over the the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African migrants seeking entry into the EU.

Nearly 47,000 individuals reached the Canaries in 2024 and estimates more than 9,000 people have died during the journey.

Search and Rescue Efforts

Following the Wednesday incident, The Gambian Navy began a rescue mission, using multiple navy ships and a fishing boat that offered help, the defense officials reported.

Authorities say a number of those who died are foreign nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.

The remains of the seven people who died have been retrieved, and a dozen of the saved are reported to be in grave health and undergoing emergency treatment.

A Frequent Pathway

Gambia is a frequent corridor used by migrants attempting to enter Europe, often on perilous trips across ocean and terrain.

Over the past few years, the EU has established pacts with a number of Maghreb states aimed at curtailing undocumented migration.