🔗 Share this article Numerous People Missing After Boat Carrying 200 Migrants Goes Down off Gambia. The capsized craft was discovered aground on a sandbank, authorities say. A minimum of seven individuals lost their lives and numerous others remain unaccounted for after a vessel transporting about two hundred migrants seeking to enter European shores overturned in waters near The Gambia, reports confirm. The vessel capsized late Wednesday night in the vicinity of Jinack village in the northern bank region and it was afterwards located "beached on a shoal", the country's defence ministry said in a statement. 96 individuals have been rescued so far and a hunt is ongoing for those still missing who were aboard the shipwrecked vessel that was en route to the Canary Islands of Spain. The hazardous trip over the the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African migrants trying to reach Europe. Nearly 47,000 people made it to the Spanish archipelago in last year and estimates over 9,000 people perished in the attempt. Rescue Operation Following the Wednesday incident, The Gambian Navy initiated a rescue mission, involving multiple navy ships and a fishing vessel that joined the effort, the defense officials confirmed. Reports indicate several of the victims are foreign nationals and that their details are still being checked. The deceased of the seven victims who perished at sea were found, and a dozen of the saved are said to be in grave health and getting immediate medical attention. A Common Migration Route Gambia is a frequent corridor taken by migrants trying to reach the EU, often on perilous trips over water and land. Over the past few years, the EU has reached agreements with multiple Maghreb states designed to limiting undocumented migration.