Dozens Unaccounted For Following Craft Transporting Two Hundred Migrants Capsizes near the coast of Gambia.
At least seven individuals lost their lives and numerous others remain unaccounted for after a craft carrying about 200 migrants seeking to enter Europe capsized off the coast of the Gambian coast, authorities say.
The craft flipped late Wednesday night near the village of Jinack in the North Bank area and it was afterwards located "beached on a shoal", the nation's defense ministry said in a statement.
Nearly one hundred people have been saved to date and a search is continuing for those still missing who were on board the sunken boat that was en route to Spain's Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African asylum seekers attempting to get to the EU.
Close to 47,000 people reached the Spanish archipelago in last year and data indicates in excess of 9,000 migrants perished in the attempt.
Search and Rescue Efforts
In the aftermath of the disaster, Gambia's naval forces began a rescue mission, using several naval vessels and a fishing vessel that offered help, the military said.
Officials state several of the victims are not from The Gambia and that their identities are still being verified.
The bodies of the seven individuals who drowned have been retrieved, and 10 of those rescued are described as being in grave health and getting immediate medical attention.
A Frequent Pathway
This West African nation is one of the routes used by migrants attempting to enter Europe, typically through dangerous journeys by sea and land.
In recent years, the European bloc has established pacts with multiple North African nations aimed at reducing irregular migration.
