Dozens Missing Following Craft Transporting 200 Asylum Seekers Capsizes in waters off Gambia.
A minimum of seven people have perished and numerous others remain unaccounted for following a vessel transporting approximately 200 migrants seeking to enter Europe overturned in waters near The Gambia, authorities say.
The vessel capsized on Wednesday midnight close to the village of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was afterwards located "beached on a shoal", the nation's defense ministry said in a statement.
Nearly one hundred people were pulled to safety and a rescue operation continues for those still missing who were aboard the capsized craft that was heading towards Spain's Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African migrants trying to reach European nations.
Almost 47,000 individuals reached the Spanish archipelago in last year and estimates more than 9,000 migrants perished trying.
Rescue Operation
In the aftermath of the disaster, the navy initiated a search operation, involving several naval vessels and a commercial fishing craft that came to assist, the defense officials confirmed.
Reports indicate some of the deceased are not Gambian nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The deceased of the seven victims who died have been retrieved, and 10 of those rescued are reported to be in critical condition and getting immediate medical attention.
A Common Migration Route
The Gambia is a frequent corridor taken by migrants attempting to enter the EU, typically through perilous trips by sea and land.
Over the past few years, the EU has established pacts with several Maghreb states aimed at reducing undocumented migration.
