Dozens Unaccounted For After Vessel Holding Two Hundred Migrants Sinks near the coast of The Gambia.
At least seven people have died and a significant number remain unaccounted for in the wake of a vessel transporting around two hundred migrants trying to get to European shores sank off the coast of the Gambian coast, reports confirm.
The craft flipped late Wednesday night close to Jinack in the North Bank area and it was subsequently discovered "grounded on a sandbank", the nation's defense ministry stated in a release.
Ninety-six people have been rescued so far and a rescue operation continues for those still missing who were aboard the sunken boat that was heading towards the Spanish Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic Ocean has become an increasingly common route for African migrants attempting to get to the EU.
Close to 47,000 people made it to the Spanish archipelago in last year and data indicates in excess of 9,000 people have died trying.
Rescue Operation
After Wednesday's accident, The Gambian Navy launched a search operation, deploying a number of military boats and a fishing boat that came to assist, the military reported.
Officials state a number of those who died are not from The Gambia and that their details are still being checked.
The remains of the seven victims who perished at sea have been recovered, and a dozen of the saved are reported to be in grave health and getting immediate medical attention.
A Frequent Pathway
The Gambia is a frequent corridor taken by migrants attempting to enter Europe, typically through dangerous journeys by sea and land.
Over the past few years, the European bloc has reached agreements with multiple North African nations aimed at reducing irregular migration.
