Scores Unaccounted For Following Vessel Transporting 200 Asylum Seekers Sinks off The Gambia.
At least seven souls have perished and numerous others are missing after a boat carrying about 200 migrants trying to get to Europe overturned off the coast of The Gambia, authorities say.
The vessel capsized in the early hours of Thursday close to the village of Jinack in the North Bank area and it was afterwards located "stranded on a sandbar", the nation's defense ministry announced officially.
Ninety-six people have been rescued so far and a search is continuing for those still missing who were traveling on the capsized craft that was en route to the Canary Islands of Spain.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic Ocean has emerged as a rising pathway for African asylum seekers seeking entry into Europe.
Almost forty-seven thousand migrants reached the Canaries in last year and estimates more than 9,000 migrants perished during the journey.
Rescue Operation
After Wednesday's accident, the navy initiated a search-and-rescue operation, involving multiple navy ships and a fishing vessel that came to assist, the defence ministry said.
Reports indicate several of the victims are foreign nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The remains of the seven individuals who drowned were found, and a dozen of the saved are described as being in grave health and getting immediate medical attention.
An Established Corridor
The Gambia is a common pathway taken by migrants attempting to enter the EU, frequently via hazardous voyages over water and land.
Recently, the EU has established pacts with a number of Maghreb states aimed at reducing irregular migration.
