No fewer than seven souls have perished and numerous others are missing after a craft transporting approximately 200 migrants seeking to enter the European continent sank in waters near Gambia, reports confirm.
The vessel capsized on Wednesday midnight close to the village of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was later found "grounded on a sandbank", the nation's defense ministry stated in a release.
96 individuals were pulled to safety and a search is continuing for the remaining passengers who were on board the capsized craft that was bound for the Spanish Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic Ocean has grown into a more frequent path for African asylum seekers attempting to get to the EU.
Nearly forty-seven thousand migrants arrived at the Canary Islands in last year and estimates over 9,000 migrants have lost their lives trying.
Search and Rescue Efforts
Following the Wednesday incident, The Gambian Navy launched a search operation, using several naval vessels and a fishing boat that came to assist, the military reported.
Reports indicate several of the victims are not Gambian nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The remains of the seven individuals who died have been recovered, and 10 of those rescued are reported to be in critical condition and receiving urgent medical care.
A Common Migration Route
Gambia is a frequent corridor taken by migrants trying to reach Europe, often on dangerous journeys by sea and land.
In recent years, the European bloc has reached agreements with a number of North African countries aimed at limiting irregular migration.
