Scores Lost Following Craft Holding 200 Migrants Sinks near the coast of The Gambia.
At least seven souls lost their lives and numerous others are lost after a craft carrying around 200 people trying to get to European shores overturned near the shoreline of the Gambian coast, reports confirm.
The boat overturned in the early hours of Thursday near the village of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was subsequently discovered "grounded on a sandbank", the nation's defense ministry stated in a release.
96 individuals have been saved to date and a hunt is ongoing for other passengers who were on board the shipwrecked vessel that was heading towards the Canary Islands of Spain.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic Ocean has emerged as a rising pathway for African asylum seekers trying to reach Europe.
Close to 47,000 individuals reached the Canaries in last year and figures suggest more than 9,000 people have lost their lives trying.
Ongoing Mission
After Wednesday's accident, the navy launched a rescue mission, deploying multiple navy ships and a fishing vessel that offered help, the defence ministry reported.
Reports indicate several of the victims are not Gambian nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The bodies of the seven people who perished at sea have been retrieved, and 10 of those rescued are described as being in serious condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
An Established Corridor
This West African nation is a common pathway utilized by migrants attempting to enter Europe, often on perilous trips over water and land.
In recent years, the European bloc has reached agreements with a number of North African countries aimed at limiting undocumented migration.
