Numerous People Missing After Vessel Transporting Two Hundred Asylum Seekers Sinks near the coast of the Gambian coast.
A minimum of seven people have perished and many others remain unaccounted for after a vessel transporting about two hundred people trying to get to European shores capsized in waters near the Gambian coast, officials state.
The craft flipped on Wednesday midnight in the vicinity of Jinack in the North Bank area and it was subsequently discovered "beached on a shoal", the Gambian military authorities stated in a release.
Ninety-six people have been rescued so far and a hunt is ongoing for those still missing who were aboard the capsized craft that was bound for the Canary Islands of Spain.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for migrants from Africa attempting to get to European nations.
Close to 47,000 individuals made it to the Canaries in last year and data indicates in excess of 9,000 migrants have died in the attempt.
Search and Rescue Efforts
Following the Wednesday incident, The Gambian Navy launched a search-and-rescue operation, deploying multiple navy ships and a fishing vessel that offered help, the military reported.
Authorities say several of the victims are foreign nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The deceased of the seven individuals who perished at sea have been recovered, and a dozen of the saved are said to be in critical condition and receiving urgent medical care.
A Common Migration Route
This West African nation is one of the routes taken by migrants seeking to get to Europe, frequently via perilous trips over water and land.
Recently, the EU has forged deals with several Maghreb states designed to limiting undocumented migration.