🔗 Share this article Dozens Missing After Craft Holding 200 Asylum Seekers Sinks off The Gambia. The capsized craft was discovered stranded on a shoal, according to statements. A minimum of seven souls have died and numerous others are missing following a vessel ferrying approximately 200 people attempting to reach the European continent overturned in waters near the Gambian coast, reports confirm. The craft flipped late Wednesday night close to Jinack village in the northern bank region and it was subsequently discovered "beached on a shoal", the nation's defense ministry announced officially. Ninety-six people have been rescued so far and a hunt is ongoing for other passengers who were on board the capsized craft that was bound for the Spanish Canary Islands. The hazardous trip over the the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African migrants attempting to get to Europe. Close to 47,000 individuals made it to the Canaries in last year and estimates over 9,000 people perished during the journey. Search and Rescue Efforts After Wednesday's accident, the navy initiated a search operation, deploying several naval vessels and a commercial fishing craft that joined the effort, the defence ministry reported. Authorities say a number of those who died are foreign nationals and that their details are still being checked. The deceased of the seven people who drowned have been retrieved, and a dozen of the saved are reported to be in critical condition and getting immediate medical attention. A Frequent Pathway Gambia is a frequent corridor utilized by asylum seekers seeking to get to Europe, frequently via hazardous voyages by sea and land. Recently, the European Union has established pacts with multiple North African countries aimed at curtailing illegal migration.