A minimum of seven souls have perished and many others are missing in the wake of a boat ferrying approximately 200 migrants trying to get to the European continent capsized off the coast of the Gambian coast, reports confirm.
The craft flipped in the early hours of Thursday close to Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was later found "grounded on a sandbank", the country's defence ministry announced officially.
96 individuals have been rescued so far and a search is continuing for those still missing who were on board the shipwrecked vessel that was en route to the Spanish Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African asylum seekers seeking entry into Europe.
Almost 47,000 people arrived at the Spanish archipelago in last year and figures suggest over 9,000 people have lost their lives during the journey.
Rescue Operation
After Wednesday's accident, the navy launched a search operation, using multiple navy ships and a fishing boat that joined the effort, the defence ministry reported.
Authorities say some of the deceased are not Gambian nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The remains of the seven individuals who died were found, and a dozen of the saved are described as being in critical condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Frequent Pathway
The Gambia is one of the routes taken by migrants trying to reach European countries, often on dangerous journeys by sea and land.
Recently, the European Union has reached agreements with a number of North African countries designed to reducing undocumented migration.
