Numerous People Missing After Vessel Transporting Two Hundred Migrants Goes Down in waters off the Gambian coast.
A minimum of seven souls have perished and a significant number remain unaccounted for in the wake of a craft transporting approximately 200 migrants attempting to reach the European continent capsized near the shoreline of Gambia, officials state.
The vessel capsized on Wednesday midnight near Jinack village in the northern bank region and it was subsequently discovered "stranded on a sandbar", the nation's defense ministry stated in a release.
96 individuals have been saved to date and a rescue operation continues for the remaining passengers who were aboard the sunken boat that was en route to the Canary Islands of Spain.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African migrants seeking entry into the EU.
Nearly 47,000 people made it to the Canaries in last year and figures suggest in excess of 9,000 people perished in the attempt.
Rescue Operation
After Wednesday's accident, The Gambian Navy began a search operation, using a number of military boats and a fishing boat that offered help, the defence ministry confirmed.
Reports indicate some of the deceased are not from The Gambia and that their details are still being checked.
The deceased of the seven people who perished at sea have been retrieved, and a dozen of the saved are said to be in serious condition and receiving urgent medical care.
An Established Corridor
Gambia is one of the routes used by migrants seeking to get to European countries, often on perilous trips by sea and land.
In recent years, the European bloc has forged deals with several North African countries aimed at limiting irregular migration.
