Scores Lost Following Vessel Holding Two Hundred Migrants Sinks near the coast of The Gambia.
A minimum of seven souls lost their lives and many others are lost in the wake of a craft carrying around two hundred migrants trying to get to European shores capsized in waters near the Gambian coast, officials state.
The craft flipped late Wednesday night in the vicinity of the village of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was subsequently discovered "stranded on a sandbar", the country's defence ministry announced officially.
Ninety-six people have been saved to date and a rescue operation continues for other passengers who were aboard the capsized craft that was heading towards the Canary Islands of Spain.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic Ocean has become an increasingly common route for migrants from Africa trying to reach Europe.
Almost 47,000 people arrived at the Spanish archipelago in last year and data indicates in excess of 9,000 migrants perished in the attempt.
Search and Rescue Efforts
After Wednesday's accident, Gambia's naval forces launched a rescue mission, involving multiple navy ships 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 individuals who perished at sea have been recovered, and ten of the survivors are said to be in grave health and receiving urgent medical care.
A Frequent Pathway
This West African nation is a common pathway used by asylum seekers seeking to get to Europe, typically through perilous trips across ocean and terrain.
In recent years, the EU has forged deals with several Maghreb states aimed at curtailing undocumented migration.
