Numerous People Lost After Vessel Carrying 200 Migrants Goes Down in waters off Gambia.
At least seven souls have died and many others remain unaccounted for after a vessel ferrying around 200 migrants attempting to reach European shores sank near the shoreline of The Gambia, authorities say.
The vessel capsized on Wednesday midnight close to the village of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was afterwards located "beached on a shoal", the Gambian military authorities announced officially.
96 individuals were pulled to safety and a rescue operation continues for other passengers who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was bound for the Spanish Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African migrants attempting to get to European nations.
Almost 47,000 people reached the Canaries in last year and data indicates over 9,000 people perished in the attempt.
Rescue Operation
In the aftermath of the disaster, the navy launched a rescue mission, using a number of military boats and a commercial fishing craft that came to assist, the military confirmed.
Officials state several of the victims are not from The Gambia and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The remains of the seven people who drowned have been retrieved, and 10 of those rescued are described as being in grave health and receiving urgent medical care.
A Common Migration Route
Gambia is a common pathway used by migrants trying to reach the EU, often on hazardous voyages over water and land.
Over the past few years, the European bloc has forged deals with several Maghreb states aimed at curtailing undocumented migration.
