A minimum of seven souls have perished and numerous others are lost in the wake of a craft carrying about two hundred migrants trying to get to European shores sank near the shoreline of Gambia, reports confirm.
The boat overturned on Wednesday midnight close to the village of Jinack in the North Bank area and it was subsequently discovered "stranded on a sandbar", the Gambian military authorities stated in a release.
Ninety-six people have been saved to date and a search is continuing for those still missing who were traveling on the capsized craft that was bound for the Spanish Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for migrants from Africa attempting to get to European nations.
Nearly 47,000 individuals made it to the Canaries in last year and figures suggest more than 9,000 people perished trying.
Ongoing Mission
Following the Wednesday incident, The Gambian Navy launched a search operation, using multiple navy ships and a fishing vessel that came to assist, the defense officials confirmed.
Officials state some of the deceased are foreign nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The bodies of the seven individuals who perished at sea were found, and 10 of those rescued are said to be in grave health and getting immediate medical attention.
A Common Migration Route
Gambia is a frequent corridor used by asylum seekers seeking to get to European countries, often on dangerous journeys by sea and land.
Over the past few years, the EU has established pacts with multiple Maghreb states designed to limiting illegal migration.
