🔗 Share this article Scores Lost After Boat Transporting 200 Asylum Seekers Capsizes in waters off Gambia. The shipwrecked vessel was found stranded on a shoal, according to statements. At least seven souls lost their lives and a significant number remain unaccounted for after a vessel carrying about two hundred migrants seeking to enter the European continent capsized in waters near Gambia, reports confirm. The vessel capsized in the early hours of Thursday close to Jinack village in the northern bank region and it was subsequently discovered "stranded on a sandbar", the Gambian military authorities said in a statement. Nearly one hundred people have been saved to date and a search is continuing for those still missing who were traveling on the capsized craft that was en route to the Spanish Canary Islands. The hazardous trip over the Atlantic Ocean has grown into a more frequent path for migrants from Africa trying to reach Europe. Close to forty-seven thousand migrants reached the Spanish archipelago in the year 2024 and estimates in excess of 9,000 people have lost their lives during the journey. Search and Rescue Efforts In the aftermath of the disaster, Gambia's naval forces launched a search operation, involving multiple navy ships and a fishing vessel that joined the effort, the defence ministry reported. Reports indicate some of the deceased are foreign nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation. The deceased of the seven individuals who perished at sea were found, and ten of the survivors are reported to be in grave health and undergoing emergency treatment. A Frequent Pathway This West African nation is a common pathway taken by migrants trying to reach Europe, often on hazardous voyages over water and land. Over the past few years, the EU has forged deals with a number of North African countries aimed at reducing undocumented migration.