Dozens Lost Following Vessel Holding 200 Asylum Seekers Sinks off The Gambia.
At least seven individuals lost their lives and a significant number remain unaccounted for after a vessel transporting about two hundred migrants attempting to reach the European continent sank off the coast of Gambia, officials state.
The vessel capsized late Wednesday night in the vicinity of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was subsequently discovered "grounded on a sandbank", the Gambian military authorities said in a statement.
Ninety-six people have been saved to date and a search is continuing for those still missing who were on board the capsized craft that was en route to 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.
Almost 47,000 people reached the Canary Islands in last year and data indicates in excess of nine thousand individuals have lost their lives in the attempt.
Ongoing Mission
In the aftermath of the disaster, the navy initiated a rescue mission, involving a number of military boats and a fishing boat that joined the effort, the defence ministry confirmed.
Reports indicate some of the deceased are foreign nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The deceased of the seven individuals who perished at sea have been retrieved, and ten of the survivors are said to be in serious condition and receiving urgent medical care.
A Frequent Pathway
Gambia is a common pathway taken by migrants seeking to get to Europe, typically through hazardous voyages across ocean and terrain.
Recently, the EU has forged deals with multiple North African countries aimed at reducing illegal migration.
