Dozens Missing Following Boat Carrying 200 Migrants Capsizes near the coast of the Gambian coast.

No fewer than seven souls have perished and many others are missing following a craft transporting about 200 migrants trying to get to European shores overturned near the shoreline of the Gambian coast, officials state.

The craft flipped in the early hours of Thursday in the vicinity of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was subsequently discovered "grounded on a sandbank", the country's defence ministry said in a statement.

Nearly one hundred people have been rescued so far and a hunt is ongoing for the remaining passengers who were traveling on the capsized craft that was heading towards the Spanish Canary Islands.

The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic Ocean has become an increasingly common route for African migrants seeking entry into the EU.

Almost forty-seven thousand migrants made it to the Spanish archipelago in last year and figures suggest more than 9,000 people have lost their lives in the attempt.

Rescue Operation

After Wednesday's accident, Gambia's naval forces began a search operation, involving multiple navy ships and a fishing vessel that joined the effort, the defense officials reported.

Authorities say several of the victims are foreign nationals and that their identities are still being verified.

The remains of the seven victims who drowned were found, and a dozen of the saved are reported to be in grave health and getting immediate medical attention.

A Frequent Pathway

The Gambia is one of the routes taken by migrants trying to reach Europe, often on dangerous journeys over water and land.

Recently, the European Union has reached agreements with several North African nations designed to curtailing illegal migration.