Scores Missing Following Boat Transporting 200 Migrants Sinks off the Gambian coast.
No fewer than seven people have perished and many others remain unaccounted for in the wake of a craft carrying around 200 migrants trying to get to Europe sank near the shoreline of Gambia, reports confirm.
The vessel capsized on Wednesday midnight close to Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was later found "beached on a shoal", the Gambian military authorities announced officially.
Ninety-six people have been rescued so far and a rescue operation continues for the remaining passengers who were on board the sunken boat that was heading towards the Canary Islands of Spain.
The perilous journey over the the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for migrants from Africa seeking entry into European nations.
Close to 47,000 people reached the Canaries in last year and figures suggest over 9,000 people perished in the attempt.
Ongoing Mission
Following the Wednesday incident, the navy began a search-and-rescue operation, deploying a number of military boats and a commercial fishing craft that came to assist, the defense officials confirmed.
Reports indicate several of the victims are not from The Gambia and that their details are still being checked.
The remains of the seven people who drowned have been retrieved, and 10 of those rescued are said to be in grave health and getting immediate medical attention.
A Frequent Pathway
The Gambia is one of the routes used by migrants seeking to get to European countries, typically through perilous trips over water and land.
In recent years, the European Union has established pacts with a number of Maghreb states aimed at limiting illegal migration.
