Scores Missing Following Vessel Carrying 200 Migrants Capsizes in waters off The Gambia.
A minimum of seven souls have perished and numerous others remain unaccounted for in the wake of a vessel ferrying around two hundred migrants attempting to reach European shores overturned near the shoreline of Gambia, reports confirm.
The vessel capsized on Wednesday midnight near the village of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was later found "stranded on a sandbar", the Gambian military authorities 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 sunken boat that was heading towards Spain's Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African asylum seekers seeking entry into the EU.
Close to 47,000 people reached the Canaries in last year and data indicates more than 9,000 people have died trying.
Rescue Operation
Following the Wednesday incident, the navy began a rescue mission, using multiple navy ships and a fishing boat that came to assist, the military said.
Authorities say some of the deceased are foreign nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The deceased of the seven individuals who died have been recovered, and 10 of those rescued are said to be in serious condition and receiving urgent medical care.
An Established Corridor
Gambia is one of the routes used by migrants attempting to enter European countries, frequently via hazardous voyages across ocean and terrain.
Recently, the EU has established pacts with multiple North African countries designed to reducing undocumented migration.
