No fewer than seven souls have perished and a significant number are missing in the wake of a vessel carrying about 200 migrants seeking to enter the European continent sank near the shoreline of Gambia, authorities say.
The craft flipped in the early hours of Thursday near Jinack in the North Bank area and it was subsequently discovered "beached on a shoal", the nation's defense ministry announced officially.
Ninety-six people have been rescued so far and a hunt is ongoing for those still missing who were traveling on the sunken boat that was en route to the Canary Islands of Spain.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic Ocean has become an increasingly common route for African migrants seeking entry into European nations.
Nearly 47,000 individuals arrived at the Canaries 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, The Gambian Navy launched a rescue mission, deploying multiple navy ships and a fishing vessel that came to assist, the military reported.
Reports indicate a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The remains of the seven victims who perished at sea have been recovered, and ten of the survivors are said to be in grave health and receiving urgent medical care.
A Common Migration Route
Gambia is a common pathway taken by asylum seekers seeking to get to European countries, typically through hazardous voyages across ocean and terrain.
Over the past few years, the European bloc has reached agreements with multiple North African countries designed to limiting irregular migration.
