🔗 Share this article Numerous People Missing After Vessel Holding Two Hundred Migrants Sinks near the coast of the Gambian coast. Authorities located the stricken boat aground on a sandbank, officials report. No fewer than seven souls have perished and numerous others are missing in the wake of a craft transporting approximately two hundred migrants trying to get to Europe capsized near the shoreline of Gambia, authorities say. The vessel capsized on Wednesday midnight near the village of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was afterwards located "stranded on a sandbar", the country's defence ministry announced officially. 96 individuals have been saved to date and a rescue operation continues for the remaining passengers who were traveling on the capsized craft that was heading towards Spain's Canary Islands. The hazardous trip over the Atlantic Ocean has emerged as a rising pathway for African asylum seekers attempting to get to Europe. Nearly 47,000 people arrived at the Canaries in last year and estimates more than 9,000 migrants perished trying. Search and Rescue Efforts After Wednesday's accident, Gambia's naval forces initiated a search operation, deploying several naval vessels and a commercial fishing craft that joined the effort, the military confirmed. Officials state a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their details are still being checked. The remains of the seven victims who perished at sea have been recovered, and ten of the survivors are described as being in grave health and getting immediate medical attention. An Established Corridor This West African nation is a frequent corridor utilized by migrants seeking to get to Europe, frequently via perilous trips across ocean and terrain. Recently, the European bloc has established pacts with a number of North African countries aimed at limiting irregular migration.