At least seven individuals lost their lives and a significant number are missing in the wake of a craft transporting approximately two hundred migrants trying to get to European shores capsized off the coast of Gambia, reports confirm.
The craft flipped in the early hours of Thursday near the village of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was later found "grounded on a sandbank", the country's defence ministry said in a statement.
96 individuals have been saved to date and a hunt is ongoing for the remaining passengers who were on board the sunken boat that was heading towards the Canary Islands of Spain.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic Ocean has emerged as a rising pathway for migrants from Africa attempting to get to the EU.
Close to 47,000 people arrived at the Canary Islands in last year and figures suggest in excess of 9,000 people have died trying.
Ongoing Mission
Following the Wednesday incident, The Gambian Navy initiated a rescue mission, deploying a number of military boats and a fishing boat that joined the effort, the defence ministry reported.
Officials state some of the deceased are not Gambian nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The remains of the seven individuals who died have been retrieved, and a dozen of the saved are said to be in critical condition and getting immediate medical attention.
A Frequent Pathway
Gambia is one of the routes utilized by asylum seekers seeking to get to the EU, frequently via perilous trips over water and land.
Recently, the EU has reached agreements with several North African countries aimed at curtailing irregular migration.
