🔗 Share this article Dozens Missing After Boat Carrying 200 Migrants Goes Down off The Gambia. The capsized craft was discovered aground on a sandbank, officials report. A minimum of seven people have died and a significant number are lost in the wake of a vessel carrying about two hundred migrants trying to get to Europe capsized in waters near The Gambia, reports confirm. The craft flipped late Wednesday night in the vicinity of the village of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was afterwards located "stranded on a sandbar", the Gambian military authorities announced officially. 96 individuals have been rescued so far and a hunt is ongoing for the remaining passengers who were aboard the capsized craft that was heading towards Spain's Canary Islands. The hazardous trip over the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African asylum seekers trying to reach European nations. Close to 47,000 people reached the Canaries in 2024 and data indicates more than 9,000 migrants have died trying. Ongoing Mission After Wednesday's accident, the navy initiated a search operation, involving a number of military boats and a fishing boat that offered help, the defense officials said. Authorities say several of the victims are foreign nationals and that their identities are still being verified. The bodies of the seven victims who died were found, and ten of the survivors are reported to be in grave health and undergoing emergency treatment. A Common Migration Route The Gambia is one of the routes used by migrants attempting to enter the EU, typically through perilous trips over water and land. Recently, the European bloc has established pacts with multiple North African nations designed to reducing irregular migration.