Scores Unaccounted For Following Craft Holding 200 Migrants Sinks near the coast of the Gambian coast.

At least seven souls have died and a significant number are missing in the wake of a boat transporting approximately 200 migrants attempting to reach the European continent sank in waters near the Gambian coast, officials state.

The boat overturned in the early hours of Thursday near Jinack village in the North Bank Region and it was later found "stranded on a sandbar", the Gambian military authorities announced officially.

Nearly one hundred people have been rescued so far and a rescue operation continues for those still missing who were traveling on the capsized craft that was heading towards Spain's Canary Islands.

The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African migrants seeking entry into European nations.

Nearly 47,000 people made it to the Canaries in the year 2024 and data indicates in excess of 9,000 people have died during the journey.

Rescue Operation

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 came to assist, the defence ministry said.

Reports indicate some of the deceased are not Gambian nationals and that their details are still being checked.

The bodies of the seven victims who perished at sea were found, and a dozen of the saved are described as being in grave health and getting immediate medical attention.

An Established Corridor

This West African nation is a common pathway used by migrants seeking to get to the EU, often on hazardous voyages across ocean and terrain.

Recently, the EU has reached agreements with multiple North African nations designed to limiting illegal migration.