Dozens Missing After Boat Transporting 200 Migrants Sinks in waters off the Gambian coast.
At least seven individuals have died and a significant number are lost following a boat ferrying about two hundred people trying to get to European shores capsized near the shoreline of Gambia, reports confirm.
The craft flipped in the early hours of Thursday in the vicinity of Jinack village in the North Bank area and it was subsequently discovered "grounded on a sandbank", the country's defence ministry announced officially.
96 individuals have been rescued so far and a hunt is ongoing for those still missing who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was heading towards the Spanish Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for migrants from Africa seeking entry into Europe.
Nearly 47,000 people reached the Canaries in last year and estimates over 9,000 people perished in the attempt.
Rescue Operation
Following the Wednesday incident, Gambia's naval forces began a search operation, using a number of military boats and a fishing vessel that came to assist, the defence ministry confirmed.
Officials state several of the victims are not from The Gambia and that their details are still being checked.
The remains of the seven people who died were found, and 10 of those rescued are described as being in serious condition and getting immediate medical attention.
A Frequent Pathway
This West African nation is a frequent corridor taken by asylum seekers attempting to enter Europe, often on dangerous journeys over water and land.
Recently, the European Union has reached agreements with multiple Maghreb states designed to reducing irregular migration.
