Scores Missing Following Boat Carrying 200 Migrants Goes Down off The Gambia.
No fewer than seven souls lost their lives and a significant number are lost after a boat ferrying approximately two hundred migrants trying to get to European shores capsized near the shoreline of The Gambia, authorities say.
The vessel capsized late Wednesday night near the village of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was later found "grounded on a sandbank", the country's defence ministry stated in a release.
96 individuals have been rescued so far and a rescue operation continues for those still missing who were traveling on the capsized craft that was en route to the Spanish Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for migrants from Africa seeking entry into Europe.
Almost 47,000 people reached the Canaries in last year and figures suggest over 9,000 people have lost their lives in the attempt.
Rescue Operation
After Wednesday's accident, Gambia's naval forces began a rescue mission, involving multiple navy ships and a fishing boat that came to assist, the defense officials reported.
Authorities say some of the deceased are not from The Gambia and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The bodies of the seven victims who drowned have been recovered, and a dozen of the saved are reported to be in serious condition and getting immediate medical attention.
A Common Migration Route
This West African nation is one of the routes used by asylum seekers trying to reach the EU, often on perilous trips over water and land.
Recently, the European Union has reached agreements with a number of Maghreb states with the goal of limiting irregular migration.
