Scores Unaccounted For After Vessel Carrying 200 Migrants Goes Down off Gambia.
No fewer than seven people have perished and a significant number are lost in the wake of a vessel carrying approximately two hundred migrants seeking to enter Europe sank in waters near Gambia, reports confirm.
The craft flipped in the early hours of Thursday in the vicinity of Jinack village in the northern bank region and it was afterwards located "beached on a shoal", the nation's defense ministry stated in a release.
96 individuals were pulled to safety and a hunt is ongoing for the remaining passengers who were on board the sunken boat that was en route to the Canary Islands of Spain.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for migrants from Africa seeking entry into Europe.
Almost forty-seven thousand migrants reached the Canary Islands in last year and figures suggest in excess of nine thousand individuals have died trying.
Search and Rescue Efforts
Following the Wednesday incident, The Gambian Navy launched a search-and-rescue operation, using several naval vessels and a fishing boat that came to assist, the military confirmed.
Reports indicate a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The deceased of the seven victims who died have been recovered, and ten of the survivors are said to be in serious condition and receiving urgent medical care.
An Established Corridor
The Gambia is a frequent corridor used by migrants attempting to enter Europe, often on dangerous journeys over water and land.
Recently, the EU has established pacts with several Maghreb states with the goal of reducing irregular migration.
