Scores Missing Following Craft Holding 200 Migrants Capsizes in waters off Gambia.
No fewer than seven souls have died and numerous others remain unaccounted for in the wake of a vessel ferrying around two hundred migrants attempting to reach European shores sank off the coast of The Gambia, authorities say.
The craft flipped late Wednesday night near Jinack village in the North Bank area and it was later found "beached on a shoal", the nation's defense ministry stated in a release.
96 individuals were pulled to safety and a hunt is ongoing for the remaining passengers who were traveling on the sunken boat that was en route to the Canary Islands of Spain.
The hazardous trip over the the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for migrants from Africa seeking entry into European nations.
Close to 47,000 people arrived at the Canary Islands in last year and data indicates in excess of 9,000 migrants have died during the journey.
Rescue Operation
In the aftermath of the disaster, Gambia's naval forces launched a search-and-rescue operation, using a number of military boats and a commercial fishing craft that came to assist, the defence ministry confirmed.
Reports indicate some of the deceased are not Gambian nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The remains of the seven individuals who perished at sea have been recovered, and a dozen of the saved are described as being in grave health and getting immediate medical attention.
A Common Migration Route
The Gambia is a common pathway used by migrants trying to reach the EU, often on hazardous voyages by sea and land.
Recently, the European Union has established pacts with several Maghreb states designed to limiting illegal migration.
