🔗 Share this article Numerous People Missing Following Vessel Transporting 200 Migrants Sinks in waters off The Gambia. The capsized craft was discovered beached on a sandbar, according to statements. A minimum of seven people have died and a significant number are lost in the wake of a vessel carrying around two hundred migrants attempting to reach Europe overturned off the coast of Gambia, officials state. The vessel capsized on Wednesday midnight close to Jinack in the northern bank region and it was afterwards located "stranded on a sandbar", the country's defence ministry stated in a release. Ninety-six people have been saved to date and a search is continuing for those still missing who were on board the sunken boat that was bound for the Canary Islands of Spain. The dangerous voyage over the the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African asylum seekers seeking entry into European nations. Almost forty-seven thousand migrants reached the Canary Islands in last year and data indicates over 9,000 people have lost their lives during the journey. Rescue Operation After Wednesday's accident, the navy began a search-and-rescue operation, using multiple navy ships and a fishing vessel that joined the effort, the defence ministry confirmed. Reports indicate some of the deceased are not from The Gambia and that their details are still being checked. The bodies of the seven victims who died have been retrieved, and ten of the survivors are described as being in serious condition and getting immediate medical attention. A Frequent Pathway Gambia is a common pathway utilized by migrants trying to reach the EU, often on perilous trips by sea and land. Over the past few years, the European bloc has established pacts with multiple Maghreb states designed to limiting undocumented migration.