Scores Lost Following Boat Carrying Two Hundred Migrants Goes Down off Gambia.
No fewer than seven individuals have died and a significant number are missing in the wake of a craft ferrying approximately 200 people seeking to enter European shores overturned in waters near Gambia, officials state.
The boat overturned on Wednesday midnight in the vicinity of the village of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was later found "stranded on a sandbar", the Gambian military authorities announced officially.
Ninety-six people were pulled to safety and a search is continuing for those still missing who were aboard the sunken boat that was heading towards the Spanish Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African migrants trying to reach European nations.
Close to 47,000 people arrived at the Spanish archipelago in last year and estimates more than 9,000 people have lost their lives in the attempt.
Search and Rescue Efforts
Following the Wednesday incident, Gambia's naval forces launched a search operation, using a number of military boats and a fishing boat that came to assist, the military said.
Reports indicate a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The deceased of the seven victims who perished at sea were found, and ten of the survivors are said to be in serious condition and getting immediate medical attention.
A Frequent Pathway
The Gambia is a common pathway used by migrants attempting to enter Europe, often on dangerous journeys by sea and land.
Over the past few years, the EU has reached agreements with multiple North African nations with the goal of reducing undocumented migration.