Numerous People Lost Following Boat Carrying Two Hundred Migrants Capsizes off the Gambian coast.
No fewer than seven souls have perished and many others are missing in the wake of a boat transporting about 200 migrants seeking to enter Europe sank off the coast of the Gambian coast, reports confirm.
The craft flipped in the early hours of Thursday near Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was later found "beached on a shoal", the nation's defense ministry announced officially.
Ninety-six people were pulled to safety and a rescue operation continues for other passengers who were aboard the capsized craft that was en route to the Canary Islands of Spain.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic Ocean has grown into a more frequent path for migrants from Africa seeking entry into the EU.
Close to forty-seven thousand migrants made it to the Canary Islands in last year and estimates in excess of nine thousand individuals perished in the attempt.
Ongoing Mission
In the aftermath of the disaster, Gambia's naval forces launched a rescue mission, deploying a number of military boats and a fishing boat that joined the effort, the defense officials said.
Reports indicate some of the deceased are not Gambian nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The deceased of the seven people who drowned have been recovered, and a dozen of the saved are described as being in grave health and receiving urgent medical care.
A Common Migration Route
The Gambia is a frequent corridor used by migrants trying to reach European countries, frequently via hazardous voyages by sea and land.
Over the past few years, the European Union has reached agreements with several North African nations designed to limiting illegal migration.