🔗 Share this article Dozens Lost After Craft Carrying Two Hundred Migrants Capsizes near the coast of The Gambia. The capsized craft was discovered beached on a sandbar, officials report. At least seven souls have died and many others remain unaccounted for after a craft carrying approximately two hundred migrants trying to get to the European continent sank in waters near The Gambia, reports confirm. The boat overturned in the early hours of Thursday close to Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was later found "beached on a shoal", the nation's defense ministry said in a statement. 96 individuals have been rescued so far and a hunt is ongoing for those still missing who were on board the shipwrecked vessel that was heading towards the Spanish Canary Islands. The perilous journey over the the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African migrants seeking entry into the EU. Close to 47,000 individuals made it to the Canary Islands in the year 2024 and figures suggest in excess of nine thousand individuals perished trying. Rescue Operation After Wednesday's accident, Gambia's naval forces initiated a search operation, using a number of military boats and a commercial fishing craft that offered help, the military said. Authorities say some of the deceased are foreign nationals and that their details are still being checked. The remains of the seven people who drowned have been retrieved, and 10 of those rescued are described as being in grave health and receiving urgent medical care. A Frequent Pathway This West African nation is a frequent corridor used by asylum seekers attempting to enter the EU, frequently via perilous trips by sea and land. Recently, the EU has reached agreements with multiple Maghreb states with the goal of reducing undocumented migration.