Scores Lost Following Vessel Transporting 200 Asylum Seekers Capsizes in waters off The Gambia.
No fewer than seven souls have perished and numerous others are lost in the wake of a boat transporting approximately two hundred migrants seeking to enter European shores sank in waters near The Gambia, officials state.
The boat overturned on Wednesday midnight in the vicinity of Jinack village in the North Bank area and it was subsequently discovered "beached on a shoal", the Gambian military authorities stated in a release.
Ninety-six people were pulled to safety and a hunt is ongoing for other passengers who were traveling on the sunken boat that was bound for Spain's Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for migrants from Africa attempting to get to the EU.
Nearly 47,000 people made it to the Spanish archipelago in last year and estimates in excess of nine thousand individuals have lost their lives trying.
Ongoing Mission
Following the Wednesday incident, Gambia's naval forces launched a search-and-rescue operation, deploying a number of military boats and a fishing vessel that joined the effort, the defense officials confirmed.
Authorities say several of the victims are foreign nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The remains of the seven individuals who perished at sea were found, and a dozen of the saved are reported to be in serious condition and getting immediate medical attention.
An Established Corridor
This West African nation is a common pathway utilized by migrants attempting to enter Europe, frequently via perilous trips across ocean and terrain.
Recently, the EU has reached agreements with several North African countries with the goal of reducing illegal migration.
