At least seven souls have perished and a significant number remain unaccounted for after a craft transporting around two hundred migrants seeking to enter European shores capsized near the shoreline of the Gambian coast, reports confirm.
The boat overturned late Wednesday night in the vicinity of the village of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was subsequently discovered "grounded on a sandbank", the nation's defense ministry said in a statement.
96 individuals have been rescued so far and a hunt is ongoing for other passengers who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was en route to Spain's Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African asylum seekers trying to reach European nations.
Close to 47,000 people reached the Canary Islands in last year and figures suggest in excess of 9,000 people have lost their lives in the attempt.
Search and Rescue Efforts
In the aftermath of the disaster, Gambia's naval forces initiated a search-and-rescue operation, using multiple navy ships and a fishing vessel that came to assist, the military reported.
Authorities say a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The remains of the seven individuals who died were found, and a dozen of the saved are described as being in critical condition and getting immediate medical attention.
An Established Corridor
Gambia is a frequent corridor used by migrants attempting to enter Europe, often on hazardous voyages by sea and land.
Recently, the EU has forged deals with multiple Maghreb states with the goal of curtailing undocumented migration.
