Numerous People Missing Following Craft Carrying 200 Migrants Sinks off Gambia.
A minimum of seven souls have perished and numerous others are missing following a vessel ferrying about 200 migrants seeking to enter the European continent sank near the shoreline of The Gambia, authorities say.
The craft flipped late Wednesday night near the village of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was later found "stranded on a sandbar", the country's defence ministry announced officially.
96 individuals have been rescued so far and a rescue operation continues for those still missing who were aboard the shipwrecked vessel that was en route to Spain's Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African migrants seeking entry into Europe.
Close to 47,000 individuals made it to the Canaries in last year and estimates over 9,000 migrants perished during the journey.
Rescue Operation
In the aftermath of the disaster, Gambia's naval forces launched a search-and-rescue operation, using multiple navy ships and a commercial fishing craft that came to assist, the defence ministry said.
Reports indicate several of the victims are not from The Gambia and that their identities are still being verified.
The remains of the seven individuals who drowned have been recovered, and ten of the survivors are described as being in grave health and receiving urgent medical care.
A Frequent Pathway
The Gambia is a common pathway used by migrants trying to reach the EU, typically through perilous trips by sea and land.
Recently, the EU has reached agreements with several North African countries designed to limiting irregular migration.
