Numerous People Unaccounted For Following Vessel Carrying Two Hundred Migrants Capsizes in waters off The Gambia.
A minimum of seven individuals have died and a significant number are missing following a craft carrying around two hundred people attempting to reach the European continent overturned in waters near The Gambia, officials state.
The boat overturned late Wednesday night close to Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was subsequently discovered "beached on a shoal", the nation's defense ministry announced officially.
Nearly one hundred people have been saved to date and a hunt is ongoing for those still missing who were traveling on the capsized craft that was en route to the Spanish Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic Ocean has emerged as a rising pathway for migrants from Africa trying to reach Europe.
Close to forty-seven thousand migrants reached the Spanish archipelago in last year and data indicates over 9,000 people perished during the journey.
Rescue Operation
After Wednesday's accident, the navy launched a search operation, deploying several naval vessels and a fishing vessel that joined the effort, the defense officials said.
Officials state a number of those who died are not from The Gambia and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The bodies of the seven people who drowned were found, and 10 of those rescued are reported to be in critical condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Frequent Pathway
The Gambia is one of the routes used by migrants attempting to enter the EU, typically through perilous trips by sea and land.
Recently, the European Union has established pacts with multiple Maghreb states aimed at limiting illegal migration.
