🔗 Share this article Scores Unaccounted For After Boat Holding Two Hundred Asylum Seekers Goes Down near the coast of The Gambia. The capsized craft was discovered stranded on a shoal, according to statements. A minimum of seven souls have perished and numerous others remain unaccounted for in the wake of a craft ferrying about 200 migrants attempting to reach Europe sank off the coast of Gambia, reports confirm. The craft flipped late Wednesday night near Jinack village in the North Bank area and it was subsequently discovered "stranded on a sandbar", the nation's defense ministry stated in a release. Ninety-six people have been saved to date and a hunt is ongoing for other passengers who were traveling on the capsized craft that was en route to the Spanish Canary Islands. The hazardous trip over the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for migrants from Africa trying to reach European nations. Nearly 47,000 people arrived at the Canary Islands in last year and data indicates more than 9,000 migrants have lost their lives trying. Rescue Operation After Wednesday's accident, The Gambian Navy initiated a search operation, deploying a number of military boats and a fishing vessel that joined the effort, the military reported. Reports indicate several of the victims are not from The Gambia and that their identities are still being verified. The deceased of the seven people who drowned were found, and ten of the survivors are said to be in grave health and undergoing emergency treatment. An Established Corridor The Gambia is one of the routes taken by migrants attempting to enter European countries, often on hazardous voyages by sea and land. In recent years, the EU has established pacts with a number of North African countries with the goal of limiting undocumented migration.