Numerous People Lost Following Craft Transporting 200 Migrants Capsizes off Gambia.
No fewer than seven individuals have perished and many others remain unaccounted for following a craft ferrying around 200 migrants seeking to enter the European continent overturned in waters near the Gambian coast, officials state.
The vessel capsized in the early hours of Thursday in the vicinity of the village of Jinack in the North Bank area and it was subsequently discovered "grounded on a sandbank", the country's defence ministry stated in a release.
Ninety-six people were pulled to safety and a search is continuing for the remaining passengers who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was en route to the Canary Islands of Spain.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for migrants from Africa seeking entry into Europe.
Nearly 47,000 individuals arrived at the Canary Islands in last year and data indicates over 9,000 migrants perished in the attempt.
Rescue Operation
In the aftermath of the disaster, the navy initiated a search operation, using a number of military boats and a commercial fishing craft that offered help, the defence ministry reported.
Reports indicate several of the victims are not Gambian nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The deceased of the seven individuals who perished at sea were found, and a dozen of the saved are reported to be in grave health and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Common Migration Route
This West African nation is a frequent corridor taken by migrants trying to reach Europe, typically through hazardous voyages by sea and land.
In recent years, the European bloc has established pacts with several North African countries aimed at curtailing irregular migration.